Typically when you’re expecting a baby, the company you work for doesn’t question your maternity leave request. Things were no different for a Georgia woman, pregnant with her second child. Unfortunately, her bundle of joy was really just a bundle of lies.
A Georgia state worker faces criminal liability after allegedly faking pregnancies to take maternity leave. Investigators have charged Robin Folsom, 43, with false statements and identity fraud for the schemes.
On Monday, the Georgia Office of the Attorney General reported that the former Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency worker was the subject of an ongoing investigation. Folsom told her employer in late 2020 that she was pregnant and in May 2021, a man who claimed the be the child’s father contacted Folsom’s supervisor to announce the birth. The agency granted Folsom maternity leave under these false pretenses, but one of her co-workers noticed something amiss.
Co-Worker Discovers Scam
One of Folsom’s co-workers at the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency allegedly noticed bizarre inconsistencies in her behavior. The co-worker saw a portion of Folsom’s stomach peel away from her body at one point as she stood up, causing the onlooker to believe she was wearing a fake pregnancy stomach prop.
Further, Folsom sent her co-workers pictures of her baby to sell the ruse. However, the images seemingly depicted different infants, as they had varying facial appearances and skin tones.
Investigation
As the director of external affairs at the GVRA, she earned $100,000 per year. She told her employer that she gave birth to a child in July 2020 and reported she was pregnant again in August 2021. State officials investigated the allegations that Folsom was faking her pregnancies and found no medical evidence of Folsom ever giving birth.
All state employees, and especially those that communicate with the media and general public on behalf of their agency, should be held to the highest standards of integrity and honesty,” Scott McAfee, Georgia’s State Inspector General, told reporters Monday. “OIG will continue to hold state employees accountable if they choose to deceive their superiors and receive undeserved compensation.”
