Reality TV contestant lied about owning Harley to get $10K in food stamps, officials say
A former reality TV show contestant lied about owning a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and having several bank accounts to keep collecting thousands of dollars worth of food stamps, officials in Maine say.
Jodi Theriault, 42, from Gray, a town 25 miles north of Portland, stole more than $10,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for nearly a decade, court documents show. Lower-income families can receive these benefits to “purchase healthy food and move towards self-sufficiency,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Theriault is a fitness trainer who was a contestant on two reality TV shows, including a series on the History Channel, according to the Portland Press Herald. The outlet first reported on the case.
Prosecutors say Theriault was also untruthful about having access to even more money — specifically the father of her children’s money — as she continued to collect benefits from 2009 through 2016, an indictment from Oct. 6 states.
This, as well as owning a Harley and having multiple bank accounts, are assets that would have disqualified her from getting food stamps, according to an indictment.
Theriault does not have an attorney as of Oct. 13, a spokesperson from the Maine Attorney General’s office told McClatchy News in a statement.
She was charged with theft by deception (class B), which is a felony in Maine, according to the indictment.
Theriault is a mother of three children and was a contestant on “The Selection: Special Operations Experiment,” which aired on the History Channel in 2016, according to the channel’s website. The reality show had contestants undergo “intense physical and mental” challenges led by military veterans.
That same year, Theriault was also a contestant on Steve Austin’s “Broken Skull Challenge,” the Portland Press Herald reported. On the show, eight athletes competed against each other as contestants.
Another court date for Theriault has not been scheduled as of Oct. 13, the attorney general’s office spokesperson said.
This story was originally published October 13, 2022 at 4:44 PM with the headline "Reality TV contestant lied about owning Harley to get $10K in food stamps, officials say."
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