Welfare Abuser Asks For Free Legal Counsel

Angela Lopez of Colonie who has already been sentenced to 2 to 6 years in prison for walfare fraud is asking to get free legal counsel for her appeal.

She said she doesn't have the money for a lawyer, but somehow managed to post $50,000 bail.  Lopez was denied the free lawyer.

She was sentenced to the 2 to 6 year sentence in 2011 after she was found guilty in Devcember of 2010. She ripped off the system for close to $100,000 collecting welfare, and disability payments, food stamps and receiving insurance from Medicaid. While recveiving these benefits she was also working a nurse's aid and never reported that income.

Is the system broken? Stories like this make it look like it was hit with a sledgehammer. Here's the full story from News 10 ABC.