'Octomom' Pleads Not Guilty To Another Count Of Welfare Fraud

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — "Octomom" Nadya Suleman pleaded not guilty Tuesday to the latest count against her in a welfare fraud case.

The 38-year-old mother of 14, who gained notoriety in 2009 after giving birth to octuplets, was charged Feb. 5 with a second count of aid by misrepresentation.

Suleman, whose real name is Natalie Denise Suleman, was previously charged Jan. 6 with one count of aid by misrepresentation and two counts of perjury by false application for aid. She pleaded not guilty to those charges on Jan. 17.

Suleman filed for public assistance in Lancaster in January 2013, after a stint in rehab for anxiety and exhaustion depleted her savings, her representative said. Suleman allegedly received more than $9,800 in MediCal benefits, $6,600 from CalWORKs and more than $9,800 from CalFresh.

Prosecutors say Suleman failed to report the extra income she earned through checks for personal appearances and residuals from videos in the first six months of 2013.

Suleman is scheduled to appear in court next on April 16.

If convicted of all four charges, she faces up to six years and four months in jail, according to the District Attorney's Office.

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