(WNY News Now) – A Cattaraugus County woman has been charged with multiple felonies after allegedly fraudulently collecting over $3,400 in SNAP benefits.
The Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office has arrested 52-year-old Tracy A. Ahern of Olean, NY, following an investigation into suspected welfare fraud.
According to Sheriff Eric A. Butler, the arrest stems from a complaint initially filed in June 2023 by the Cattaraugus County Department of Social Services. Investigators allege that Ahern concealed and failed to report income on her Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) account, which resulted in the fraudulent receipt of $3,422 in benefits.
Ahern is charged with three felonies: Grand Larceny in the Third Degree and Welfare Fraud in the Third Degree, both class D felonies, and Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class E felony.
The Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Bureau led the investigation with assistance from the Department of Social Services Program Integrity Unit. Ahern was taken into custody without incident at the Department of Social Services office in Olean on May 22, 2025, at approximately 10:34 a.m.
She was processed and released on an appearance ticket. Ahern is scheduled to appear in the City of Olean Court at a later date. As are all persons accused of a crime, the accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Leave a Reply