State kicks 137
felons off welfare
The state attorney general's office has announced that investigators have identified 137 people with felony backgrounds who were receiving welfare benefits.
The identified fugitives are wanted in 25 states for offenses that include car theft, grand larceny, burglary, drugs, child kidnapping, sex offenses and robbery. State officials said that besides having benefits cut off, these individuals now face arrest and extradition to the states from which they fled.
The fugitives were identified Friday by the Department of Human Services with the assistance of the FBI, said Attorney General Mark Bennett.
Investigators said the termination of benefits for this group will save the state more than $803,000.
Last year, state officials identified 225 felons on public assistance and terminated their benefits, saving the government more than $900,000.
