State: Hartford, Bloomfield Residents Stole Food Stamp Benefits

HARTFORD/BLOOMFIELD, CT — A Hartford woman and a Bloomfield woman were both charged by the state with illegally obtaining food stamp benefits from the State of Connecticut.

According to the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice, the incidents are unrelated, but both women were charged with stealing a combined $8,458 from a program financed by the state Department of Social Services.

Christina Burgos, 6, of Hartford, and Emily Guzman, 29, of Bloomfield, were arrested by Inspectors from the Statewide Prosecution Bureau of the Office of the Chief State's Attorney on separate warrants, state officials said Wednesday afternoon.

Burgos was charged with first-degree larceny and second-degree making a false statement in and Guzman was charged with first-degree larceny, authorities said.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit for Burgos, Burgos received $6,218 in benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that she was not entitled to receive from June 2021 to February 2022.

This, state officials said, is because she failed to report income, which resulted from a change in her employment status in order to continue to qualify for SNAP benefits.

Additionally, state officials said she submitted a "Renewal of Eligibility" form with false information.

Burgos was released on $10,000 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear in Hartford Superior Court Jan. 5, 2023.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit for Guzman, she received $2,240 in benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that she was not entitled to receive from August 2021 to September 2022.

State officials said Guzman is alleged to have failed to report a legally liable relative that she was residing with, along with the relative's income, in order to receive additional SNAP benefits.

Guzman was released on a $10,000 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear in Hartford Superior Court Jan. 5, 2023.

The Connecticut Department of Social Services investigative division submitted the arrest warrant applications for both Burgos and Guzman’s arrest.

The cases are being prosecuted by Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Susan Hatfield of the Statewide Prosecution Bureau.

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