WILLMAR -- Martha Hernandez-Serrano, 29, of Willmar pleaded guilty Thursday to amended charges of wrongfully obtaining assistance and check forgery for receiving almost $22,000 in public assistance on behalf of her children while she and her husband worked under false names.
As part of a plea agreement reached in Kandiyohi County District Court, the charges were reduced to lower level felonies and five additional felonies and one misdemeanor for identity theft will be dismissed. She will also receive no executed jail time.
Hernandez, who is also known as Omaryra Rivera-Vasquez, was charged in June after an investigation revealed that she and her husband, Julian Flores-Reyes, 35 -- who is also known as Alexsander Santos-Rodriquez -- worked for Jennie-O Turkey Store, using false names. While employed at Jennie, the couple received the public assistance. Hernandez-Serrano worked at the company from December 2004 to October 2005 and Flores-Reyes worked there from January 2005 to March 2008.
According to the complaint, Hernandez-Serrano applied for public assistance from Kandiyohi County Family Services on Nov. 28, 2004.
She could not apply for benefits because she and her husband are illegal immigrants. The application and six others were signed by the couple between October 2005 and October 2007. All the documents stated that neither was employed.
ADVERTISEMENT
Both were interviewed by investigators and admitted to using false names for employment and not reporting the income to family services. The total overpayment in benefits was $21,996.88.
Hernandez-Serrano will be sentenced Sept. 11.
