720 ILCS 5/17-6
2021 Illinois Compiled Statutes|Chapter 720 - CRIMINAL OFFENSES|720 ILCS 5/ - Criminal Code of 2012.|Title III - Specific Offenses

 (from Ch. 38, par. 17-6)Sec. 17-6. State benefits fraud.(a) A person commits State benefits fraud when he or she obtains or attempts  to obtain money or benefits from the State of Illinois, from any political  subdivision thereof, or from any program funded or administered in whole  or in part by the State of Illinois or any political subdivision thereof  through the knowing use of false identification documents or through the  knowing misrepresentation of his or her age, place of residence, number of dependents,  marital or family status, employment status, financial status, or any other  material fact upon which his eligibility for or degree of participation  in any benefit program might be based.(b) Notwithstanding any provision of State law to the contrary, every  application or other document submitted to an agency or department of the  State of Illinois or any political subdivision thereof to establish or determine  eligibility for money or benefits from the State of Illinois or from any  political subdivision thereof, or from any program funded or administered  in whole or in part by the State of Illinois or any political subdivision  thereof, shall be made available upon request to any law enforcement agency  for use in the investigation or prosecution of State benefits fraud or for  use in the investigation or prosecution of any other crime arising out of  the same transaction or occurrence.  Except as otherwise permitted by law,  information disclosed pursuant to this subsection shall be used and disclosed  only for the purposes provided herein.  The provisions of this Section shall  be operative only to the extent that they do not conflict with any federal  law or regulation governing federal grants to this State.(c) Any employee of the State of Illinois or any agency or political subdivision  thereof may seize as evidence any false or fraudulent document presented  to him or her in connection with an application for or receipt of money or benefits  from the State of Illinois, from any political subdivision thereof, or from  any program funded or administered in whole or in part by the State of Illinois  or any political subdivision thereof.(d) Sentence.(1) State benefits fraud is a Class 4 felony except when more than $300  is obtained, in which case State benefits fraud is a Class 3 felony.(2) If a person knowingly misrepresents oneself as a veteran or as a dependent of a veteran with the intent of obtaining benefits or privileges provided by the State or its political subdivisions to veterans or their dependents, then State benefits fraud is a Class 3 felony when $300 or less is obtained and a Class 2 felony when more than $300 is obtained.  For the purposes of this paragraph (2), benefits and privileges include, but are not limited to, those benefits and privileges available under the Veterans' Employment Act, the Viet Nam Veterans Compensation Act,  the Prisoner of War Bonus Act,  the War Bonus Extension Act,  the Military Veterans Assistance Act,  the Veterans' Employment Representative Act,  the Veterans Preference Act, Service Member Employment and Reemployment Rights Act,  the Service Member's Tenure Act,  the Housing for Veterans with Disabilities Act,  the Under Age Veterans Benefits Act,  the Survivors Compensation Act,  the Children of Deceased Veterans Act,  the Veterans Burial Places Act,  the Higher Education Student Assistance Act,  or any other loans, assistance in employment, monetary payments, or tax exemptions offered by the State or its political subdivisions for veterans or their dependents.    (Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15; 100-1101, eff. 1-1-19.)