South Windsor woman accused of scamming state child care program out of $30,000

HARTFORD, CT (WFSB) - A woman from South Windsor is accused of stealing nearly $30,000 from a state-financed child care program.

Amanda Penamon, 44, received $29,019.48 in benefits, which she was not eligible to receive, from the Care4Kids program, according to the State of Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice.

Amanda Penamon was accused of scamming a state-financed child care program out of $30,000,... — Amanda Penamon was accused of scamming a state-financed child care program out of $30,000, according to state criminal justice officials.(Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice)

Penamon was arrested by inspectors from the Statewide Prosecution Bureau of the Chief State’s Attorney’s Office on a warrant. She was charged with first-degree larceny and second-degree false statement.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Penamon received the benefits from Nov. 2021 to Feb. 2023. It said she intentionally failed to accurately report earned income that she received. If she had reported that income, she would have been ineligible to receive Care4Kids benefits during the time period.

Penamon was released on a $10,000 non-surety bond and scheduled to appear in Manchester Superior Court on June 2.

Since the last quarter of 2022, the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney said it signed 49 arrest warrants that sought the arrest of individuals who have allegedly scammed Connecticut public assistance programs. It sought to recover more than $433,828 in restitution.

So far in 2023, the office said it recovered $69,981 through up-front and court-ordered restitution.