On Thursday, a federal grand jury charged Peninatautele Fiamate with mail and food-stamp fraud. State records show welfare complaints decreased 69 percent from 1996 to 1999. The decrease in complaints might be traced to the growing number of welfare recipients who are working and complying with welfare-eligibility requirements, Stanley said. Calvet said welfare recipients who abuse the system will be disqualified permanently from receiving benefits. She also said officials will try to recover the money lost in welfare fraud cases.
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