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A Ventnor woman is under indictment, accused of racking up more than $34,000 in welfare benefits by submitting false data on her application to the Atlantic County Department of Family and Community Development.

Tracy Feigan, 42, was indicted for theft by deception today in Mays Landing, according to acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain.

Investigators said that from July 2011 until September 2013, Feigan listed a five-year-old son who lived outside Atlantic County to boost payouts from the Temporary Rental Assistance and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs, as well as food stamps.

According to prosecutors, court and public school records indicated that the youngster hadn't lived with Feigan since 2008. They concluded that she took in $34,770.60 to which she wasn't entitled.

Theft by deception is a third-degree offense with a possible sentence of three to five years in a New Jersey state prison on conviction, plus fines as high as $15,000. She's also charged with a fourth-degree count of unsworn falsification, which carries a penalty of up to 18 months in jail and up to $10,000 in fines if convicted.

The Atlantic County Department of Family and Community Development maintains a 24-hour, anonymous, confidential line to its fraud investigation unit: 1-800-FRAUD05 (1-800-372-8305).

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