A former state employee pleaded guilty Monday to faking two pregnancies that awarded her more than 200 hours of paid leave, officials said.
Robin Folsom, 43, who was working as the director of external affairs for the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency at the time, pleaded guilty to identity fraud and three counts of false statements after being indicted in early February, Attorney General Chris Carr said. She was sentenced to five years to be served on probation, ordered to pay $12,307 in restitution to the state and complete 40 hours of community service, among other terms.
“Those who work for the taxpayers of Georgia are expected to uphold high ethical standards and to fulfill their roles in an honest and transparent manner,” Carr said. “State employees who break this trust in the course of their employment will be held accountable for their actions. Fraud and deception committed on state time and in association with one’s job is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
An investigation into Folsom began after a co-worker noticed that a portion of her pregnant belly was coming away from her body, the Office of the State Inspector General said.
In July 2020, Folsom announced the birth of her first child. In October of that year, Folsom advised the state agency that she was pregnant again, the office said. By May 2021, she announced that she had given birth. She also sent pictures of her new baby to various co-workers, but the pictures were inconsistent and the children had varying skin colors, the Inspector General’s Office said.
GVRA eventually received an email from a person claiming to be the father of the child stating that the new mother had been mandated to take several weeks of rest following the delivery, the office said.
In an interview with the Inspector General’s Office, Folsom stated that the fictitious person was real and that she had given birth to two children, Carr said. Due to Folsom’s deception, she was granted 265 hours of leave under the Family Medical Leave Act, which she would not have otherwise been eligible to receive, Carr added.
The Inspector General’s Office eventually learned that there were no birth certificates proving Folsom to be a mother. Following a review of medical and insurance records, no indication was found that Folsom had ever given birth, the office said.
In October, shortly after an interview with investigators, Folsom resigned from the state agency.
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