Octomom Pleads No Contest To Welfare Fraud Charge
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — "Octomom" Nadya Suleman pleaded no contest Monday to a misdemeanor count of welfare fraud.
The 38-year-old mother of 14, who gained notoriety in 2009 after giving birth to octuplets, was ordered to complete 200 hours of community service and two years probation.
Suleman, whose real name is Natalie Denise Suleman, was previously charged with four felony counts of perjury and misrepresentation after collecting MediCal benefits that she was not entitled to.
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.
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