2 ex-state workers Gene Tell, Kristy Nicole Williams get prison time for EBT scheme

Two former state employees were sentenced to federal prison Thursday for their involvement in a benefits cards scheme, the U.S. Attoey's Office announced.

Gene Tell, 34, of East Point and Kristy Nicole Williams, 27, of Decatur were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud relating to activity to defraud the U.S. Department of Agriculture of almost $600,000, the news release said. Both pleaded guilty July 1.

Georgia converted from paper food stamps to electronic benefits transaction cards (EBT) in 1998 to be in line with federal regulations.

According to authorities, Tell and Williams took advantage of the system for five months beginning in November 2009 by reopening inactive EBT accounts or creating new cards for fraudulent accounts and receiving the payments.

They worked as financial independence case managers at DeKalb County's Department of Family and Children Services office.

”Many mothers and families rely on govement funds to feed their families and children. These former DFCS employees stole over a half-million dollars by pillaging funds meant for the neediest families, U.S. Attoey Sally Quillian Yates said.

Tell received a sentence of 2 years 9 months in prison and was ordered to pay more than $575,000 in restitution.

Williams was sentenced to 1 year 9 months and must pay restitution of more than $73,000.

Both will have three years of supervised release after their prison time.