Franklin resident pleads guilty to theft of $118,000 in welfare benefits

A Franklin resident pleaded guilty to stealing $118,000 in welfare benefits over the course of the last five years. 

Ryan Leblanc, 37, applied for both SNAP and childcare benefits with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, stating that he was the sole parent on the application and that the mother of his children was “absent.” 

He was in fact living with her, though, meaning he underreported his household income and was able to collect over $118,000 in benefits that he was otherwise ineligible for from March 2019 through December 2023, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Leblanc will be sentenced on March 31, 2025 for one count of making false statements in U.S. District Court. Sentencing charges include up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. 

An investigation into Leblanc’s false statements was led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General and New Hampshire’s Department of Health and Human Services. 

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