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A former Georgia state official is accused of wearing a fake pregnancy stomach as part of a paid leave scheme, officials said Monday.
Robin Folsom, 43, of Atlanta, was indicted last week on three counts of false statements and one count of identity fraud after she allegedly faked multiple pregnancies and used a bogus baby bump that was eventually spotted by a co-worker, the Georgia Office of the Inspector General (OIG) wrote in a press release.
"Fraud by state employees will not be tolerated," said Attorney General Chris Carr. "By working with Georgia’s independent Inspector General, we were able to discover, investigate and put an end to this alleged deception. We will always stand up to protect taxpayer dollars, and we look forward to presenting our case in court."
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Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, speaks during a campaign event for Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., on Saturday, October 31, 2020. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Folsom, the former Director of External Affairs for the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA), told human resources that she was pregnant in October 2020, and announced that she had given birth in May 2021. A man claiming to be the father of the child later emailed the agency stating that Folsom should be mandated several weeks of rest following the delivery, officials said.
Robin Folsom, 43, of Atlanta, resigned in October 2021 following an interview with state investigators (Twitter)
The agency approved about seven weeks of paid leave "that it otherwise would not have approved," according to the release.
Soon after, her alleged scheme started to come apart, the inspector general’s office said.
An investigation revealed that in March 2021, a co-worker saw the lower portion of Folsom’s stomach "come away" from her body, telling officials she believed Folsom was wearing a fake pregnant stomach.
Folsom also sent pictures of her new baby to agency employees, though the pictures "appeared to be inconsistent and depicted children with varying skin tones," the inspector general’s office said.
A review of medical and insurance records found no sign that Folsom had ever delivered a child, according to the release.
Folsom previously reported the birth of a child in July 2020 and claimed she was again pregnant in August 2021.
The corporate office of the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency in Newnan, Georgia. (Google Maps)
Folsom resigned in October 2021 following an interview with state investigators. The New York Post reported that the father of her child, Bran Otmembebwe, was a made-up person, citing the indictment.
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"All state employees, and especially those that communicate with the media and general public on behalf on their agency, should be held to the highest standards of integrity and honesty," added State Inspector General Scott McAfee. "OIG will continue to hold state employees accountable if they choose to deceive their superiors and receive undeserved compensation."
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