(FOX 2) – Kelli Bryant, who was taken into custody more than a year ago after her children were found living by themselves in squalor in a Pontiac apartment, is scheduled to be sentenced for a separate case on Thursday.
Bryant pleaded no contest to three counts of welfare fraud in December. She was charged shortly after her arrest on counts of child abuse.
Her sentencing is scheduled for early afternoon on Thursday.
The backstory:
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office took Bryant into custody after deputies were called to the residence to perform a welfare check.
The landlord told police he had not heard from her in months and was worried something had happened. When police arrived, they found a home full of garbage, along with mold and human waste.
Inside was a 15-year-old boy and two girls, 12 and 13. The boy told police they had been living at the home for years and rarely left…
Investment fraud targets the human desire for financial growth by promising high returns with “low to no risk.”
- Ponzi Schemes: Named after Charles Ponzi, these schemes pay “returns” to earlier investors using the capital brought in by newer investors. There is no actual underlying business; the system collapses when new recruitment slows down.
- Pyramid Schemes: Similar to Ponzi schemes, but participants are usually required to sell a product or service. The primary “profit” comes from the recruitment fees of new members rather than actual product sales.
- Pump and Dump: Fraudsters spread false, positive rumors about a cheap stock (the “pump”) to drive up the price. Once the price peaks, they sell their shares (the “dump”), leaving other investors with worthless stock.