'Octomom' Pleads Not Guilty To Welfare Fraud Charges
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Nadya Suleman, the SoCal woman who gained national attention when she gave birth to octuplets, pleaded not guilty Friday to welfare fraud charges.
Suleman, also known as "Octomom", was charged Jan. 6 with one count of aid by misrepresentation and two counts of perjury by false application by aid.
She is accused failing to report nearly $30,000 in earnings, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
According to the complaint, the 38-year-old mother of 14 filed for public assistance in Lancaster in January 2013.
"While applying for public aid, the mother of 14 children allegedly failed to disclose that she was also getting checks for personal appearances and residuals from videos. She allegedly failed to report the extra income she earned between Jan. 1, 2013, and June 30, 2013," the DA's office said.
If convicted, she faces more than five years in jail, but KNX1070's Jon Baird said a deal was possibly in the works.
'Octomom' Pleads Not Guily To Welfare Fraud Charges
"I can't tell you what we're going to work out, but we will treat this the way we treat most of these welfare fraud cases. If she can pay the money back, that makes a big difference," prosecutor Bill Clark said.
She was released on her own recognizance and is expected to be back in court Feb. 3.
