MEDIA RELEASE

Hawaii Prosecuting Attorney Jay Kimura announced today that on May 11, 2010, a Kona jury convicted Janis Texeira of felony theft from the State of Hawaii.

The charges arose from alleged deception on Applications for Financial Aid and Food Stamps assistance made by the defendant. The State presented evidence that Janis Texeira had provided false information in support of her claim for financial and food stamp assistance, and that the false information resulted in benefit overpayments to her of more than $10,000 between September 1, 2006 and December 31, 2007.

The four day trial, held in front of Third Circuit Court Judge Elizabeth Strance, included evidence that the defendant had given the State false information concerning the living arrangements of a minor child in order to secure State benefits that the defendant was not entitled to receive. The State claimed that the defendant had provided false information on five separate Hawaii financial and food stamp aid applications and review documents in 2006 and 2007.