When Government Aid Fraud Catches Up With You

Added: 2026-05-20

[00:00:00]Officers arrived at the home and knocked on the door. After a long wait and repeated knocking, no one answered.

[00:00:05]Finally, a woman opened the door, but she was lying to officers and refusing to cooperate with the investigation.

[00:00:10]Another woman later met with officers, but she was crying and her behavior seemed unusual and abnormal. Take a breath. Look, look, relax. Take a deep breath. You'll be Listen, I promise you you'll be fine. You'll be okay.

[00:00:21]Okay. All right.

[00:00:24]She appeared distressed and the fear in her voice was noticeable. At first, she pretended not to understand the language the officers were speaking. I don't know. You have somebody to speak with because I don't understand.

[00:00:35]Well, I mean, you speak English. Later, she became responsive and cooperative.

[00:00:37]Why did officers raid the home and what caused the chaos to erupt? Watch from the beginning to discover what really happened next.

[00:00:45]Hello, how you doing, ma'am? Sorry to bother you this morning. I'm Agent Sefcik with the Sheriff's Office. I'm looking for Marlandy.

[00:00:51]She's not here. What's going on? Okay, unfortunately, um, she has something with court she has to take care of. Oh, a ticket? No, no, she has a warrant.

[00:01:02]For what? Public assistance fraud.

[00:01:05]Um, she's not here. Yeah, she's got a, she does have a bond. It's not anything super serious, but unfortunately, it is something she has to take care of. Okay.

[00:01:14]Yeah, she I imagine Is she at work or Yeah. Yeah?

[00:01:18]Okay.

[00:01:19]>> I'm about to take my kid to school, so I'm sorry. Okay, no worries.

[00:01:22]Um Okay, you know around what time she leave for work or No?

[00:01:29]You don't know what time she lives here and you don't know what time she leave for work?

[00:01:32]>> I'm always in and out of work. This is my only day off and today is my son's first day of school, I'm trying to get him to school, so Okay, she I imagine she's your mom or Yeah. Okay. Do you happen to have, does she speak English well or I kind of handle everything in the house. Okay. Can you do me a favor? Can you talk to her and then reach out to me because unfortunately, this is not something that's going to go away. It is something that she has to take care of, though, but promise you I'll work with her. We'll We'll make it as easy as possible. All right?

[00:02:01]Um again, she does have a bond, so it's not any We can even line up a bondsman.

[00:02:06]We can do all that. You know what I mean?

[00:02:08]Um again, I'll work with her. Okay.

[00:02:12]Just give me 1 second. I'm going to go out to my truck. I'll get a card cuz I'm I'm out right now, and then I'll I'll come bring you one, okay? Okay. Bye. All right.

[00:02:21]All right. Thank you.

[00:02:23]Bye.

[00:02:25]That's her.

[00:02:27]Yeah. How you doing, Merlanda? Good.

[00:02:30]That's her.

[00:02:32]Okay. Um I was What man? I was just uh explaining to your daughter right here.

[00:02:38]Unfortunately, you you have a warrant.

[00:02:39]It's for public assistance fraud. You do have a bond, and it is something that we have to take care of, okay? So.

[00:02:45]What happened? Yeah. You have to be arrested today. Today? Yeah. Yeah, for >> What I do? You have a open case for public assistance fraud.

[00:02:55]So, we don't want We don't want to do it in front of the kids or anything. So, can we just talk behind the car? Yeah, let's just Just come over here.

[00:03:06]Yeah, let me I'll I'll try to break it down for you further just so you understand. So, you have an open case.

[00:03:11]It's for public assistance fraud. Does that ring a bell at all or anything to you or no? No, I'm not doing nothing. Okay.

[00:03:21]All right.

[00:03:22]Um There is a bond on it, right? Yeah, so you You have an open case, public assistance fraud, you have a bond.

[00:03:29]Um the way that it works is if you line up a bondsman, um you pay 10% of the total bond amount, and then we can start the process to get you out. But, unfortunately, you're going to have to come with us.

[00:03:40]Um and you're going to have to be booked into the county jail, okay?

[00:03:44]I don't know. Do you have somebody to speak English because I don't understand?

[00:03:48]Well, I mean, you speak in English to me, but you're telling me you don't understand. I in >> Yeah, but I just I understand couple English but not too much. Okay. Yeah, not too much.

[00:03:57]>> All right.

[00:03:59]Um, is you have to you're going to be arrested today.

[00:04:03]Um, but we're going to try to give your daughter information on how to get you out today.

[00:04:10]You're you're going to have she's going to be able to go to a bondsman and have you out. So, we got to bring you up but then you'll be out with a bond.

[00:04:18]Ooh, I thought I'd do. It's a It's a It's a public assistance fraud case. I don't We don't know the ins and outs of the case. It It just comes to us and we're tasked with picking you up. But they never said anything to her the last time.

[00:04:31]>> They're not going to, ma'am. That's just the way it works. They just They just file it with the state and then it comes to us and then we're tasked with picking up the person and and bringing them to the county jail so that they can be booked in and then go through the process.

[00:04:44]Um, unfortunately we don't have any more information because we don't want her stuck in there. If we give you the information all you have to do is call the local you know >> Okay, so can she get out today? That's what I'm saying. I'm trying to Okay, okay, go ahead. I'm sorry. Yeah, that's what Listen to us. We're explaining to you and then that's what we're trying to Yeah, I know bondsman.

[00:05:02]Bonded on my baby daddy all the time.

[00:05:04]>> Okay, so well, she'll be coming with us.

[00:05:07]So, how long does that going to take?

[00:05:09]For what? For cuz it takes a process.

[00:05:12]Hours.

[00:05:13]Hours. So, how long does that take?

[00:05:15]>> Realistically hours.

[00:05:18]4 to 6 hours, something like that. It depends. It's not up to us. It's up to the court system once she gets over there. All we can do is get her down there as quickly as possible so she can start the process as quickly as possible ultimately expediting the process of her getting out. Does that make sense?

[00:05:33]Yeah, but I'm confused. They came here like months ago and that was it. We never got a letter.

[00:05:40]They're not going to tell you. That's not fair. I'm not saying nothing.

[00:05:44]No, not not like that.

[00:05:46]Run paleta. Yeah. Not going on the run, but I'm saying like for her to get a lawyer or something, like some type of paper. She didn't get a lawyer.

[00:05:55]Well, that's not fair. Like the time that >> Like there's there's nothing there that they're they're not going to be like, "Hey, you here, you got to take this off her." Now is when the case actually starts. So now you get your attorney.

[00:06:05]You either get a appointed public defender or if you want to get a private attorney, you can do that. So I'm sure she'll get a court She's going to have to go through the process. She'll get a court date. She'll be out.

[00:06:15]>> And give it to your daughter.

[00:06:17]>> Why is No, don't let her go. Don't let her go.

[00:06:20]Excuse me?

[00:06:20]>> God know everything. I don't do nothing wrong.

[00:06:23]>> No. They they say I did something wrong.

[00:06:25]They want to take me. No. No, it doesn't work like that. It's just If you can have her take her jewelry off and she'll come with us. No. No. She's in the cage.

[00:06:33]She's going to be in the front seat with me. I will take care of >> because God >> Yeah, no, you're fine. Yeah, yeah, you're fine. I didn't do nothing wrong.

[00:06:38]No, listen. Listen, Marlanda, you're you're fine. You'll be okay, okay?

[00:06:41]You'll be fine. I'm going to I'm going to be with the right people in there.

[00:06:45]Marlanda, you'll be okay. You'll be all right. I've got to do this as quick as possible. I'm going to give you the information so that as soon as she gets in there, we get her out.

[00:06:53]>> God God have control everything.

[00:06:57]Take this Okay, Mommy, wait. Okay, relax.

[00:07:04]Marlanda, when when you're done taking your earrings out, if you could just check your pockets for us or if you could just turn them inside out, make sure there's nothing in your pockets, okay?

[00:07:13]No, listen, I'm I'm asking so we don't have to go through your pockets if you can just check, make sure you don't have anything else, okay?

[00:07:23]What are you talking about? No problem.

[00:07:26]Can I just go instead, bro? Like Okay, all right, come on, Marlanda, let's go.

[00:07:33]Can I just Hey, listen, you need to you need to relax. Right not going to relax.

[00:07:38]You need to relax. You need to calm down. Listen, listen.

[00:07:42]Listen.

[00:07:45]Relax.

[00:07:50]Come on. We'll just walk over here to the car.

[00:07:59]Listen, listen to me now.

[00:08:02]Take a breath. Look, look, relax. Take a deep breath. You'll be Listen, I promise you you'll be fine. You'll be okay.

[00:08:08]Okay.

[00:08:09]All right. Yeah, but my truck my leg your pocket my leg.

[00:08:14]Listen.

[00:08:18]Listen, Melanie. Hold on. Let my partner talk for a second.

[00:08:23]Okay, but can I just go?

[00:08:24]>> You can't. Why not?

[00:08:25]>> follow us.

[00:08:27]You want to follow us? Well, I'm going to follow y'all, too.

[00:08:32]Where am I going to follow you, too?

[00:08:36]Walk her in.

[00:08:48]Can I just go and stand like she But just don't break her. Like y'all got to understand like she goes to church. Like you have a cross fellowship. Like you understand, right?

[00:08:58]We do, but we have a job to do. So, it has nothing to do with anything. So I'll give you Listen, I'm going to give you all the information, all her information. Okay, you don't have to listen to me. All right. No problem.

[00:09:15]Let's go.

[00:09:20]You'll be fine. Listen, you're going to sit in the front seat with my partner.

[00:09:23]Okay? You'll just sit in the front so you're comfortable and everything. And Melanie, look, just really quick, can you just turn your your pockets inside out for me? We just want to make sure that you don't have anything else in here. Okay?

[00:09:35]All right. You're Listen, you'll be fine. be okay.

[00:09:38]You'll be fine, all right? We'll get the bondsman and everything lined up for you and so we can get the process going as fast as possible for you, all right?

[00:09:50]You don't have to have cops out here like our neighbors are like Okay.

[00:09:56]Jesus Christ.

[00:10:00]So, these just go right here.

[00:10:01]>> the kid so he's not he doesn't have to see this, please? That's the whole purpose of us walking her over to the car.

[00:10:07]Can you just take you and your kid over there, please? And I'll be with you in a second. What is in there?

[00:10:14]I don't want the kid to see it.

[00:10:16]I know, I just don't want the kid to Can you take your Can you take your son over there, please? Thank you. Take Clarice.

[00:10:21]Clarice, I come down, okay? Come down.

[00:10:25]>> [clears throat] >> You'll be You'll be okay. You'll be fine. You'll be fine. Yeah, she you know she because I'm having I do my respect.

[00:10:35]Yeah, you'll be fine. Listen, Melendez, look, we're going to get the bondsman lined up for you so we can get the everything kind of going as quickly as possible so you are there the least amount of time as possible, okay?

[00:10:47]So, just just work with us and we'll work with you, all right?

[00:10:56]Um send her give me the number because >> it right here. Yeah, took two Okay. No problem.

[00:11:05]Is that okay?

[00:11:06]It's okay. Doesn't hurt?

[00:11:12]Does that feel all right? Yeah.

[00:11:18]Just have a seat.

[00:11:23]Put the seatbelt on.

[00:11:27]Excuse me.

[00:11:31]She was arrested because she was directly involved in public assistance fraud.

[00:11:40]No. No. Just go.

[00:11:53]Yeah. Send it to me. I just put the miles in. Thanks.