Felton woman sentenced for theft of federal funds

A release from the Delaware DOJ’s Office says that a 62-year-old Felton woman will spend two years in prison for her role in the theft of federal funds from an aid program that was providing money for food benefits.

Officials report that Joellen Edwards pled guilty to theft over $100,000 and official misconduct.

Edwards was one of seven former employees of the Department of Health and Social Services who was responsible for issuing Electronic Benefit Transfer cards.

She was arrested and indicted earlier this year.

According to investigators, the fraudulent EBT cards were delivered to State Service Centers in New Castle and Kent County, and intercepted by the suspects working at those locations. Once intercepted, the cards were allegedly personally used or sold at a discount.

Deputy Attorneys General Dennis Kelleher, Matthew Frawley, and Phillip Casale secured the plea, and Edwards was sentenced by Judge Eric Davis to two years in prison, followed by one year of supervised probation.

Edwards will then have to stay on unsupervised probation until she pays restitution of $378,880 to DHSS.