A mother and daughter from Westminster are facing felony welfare fraud charges in what the Orange County District Attorney’s office says is the “largest housing fraud case” in county history.

Errica Madkins Mickens, 55, and Brittany Monet Mickens, 29, were arrested Thursday, Aug. 1, on suspicion of bilking more than $190,000 from county housing services.

The pair are accused of concealing their identities to gain funds from Orange County’s Housing Authority Section 8, which provides rental assistance to low-income households, and In Home Supportive Services, which provides benefits to its disabled clients such as support for family care.

“The brazen way (the IHSS) program was exploited by these two individuals to steal taxpayer dollars is beyond disturbing,” District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement.

The mother and daughter allegedly used multiple birth certificates and ID cards to gain eligibility for the public programs, hiding their true identities, but investigators say Errica and Brittany Mickens have more than $600,000 in their bank accounts.

Errica Mickens is an IHSS client who received the maximum benefits – for clients who need 285 hours of assistance per month. Brittany Mickens served as the care provider for her mother, who she said she could not speak or walk, according to prosecutors.

Errica Mickens became a client of IHSS by pretending to be unable to speak or walk, according to the DA’s office. She received the maximum benefits, reserved for the most severely disabled client who require 285 hours of assistance each month.

Brittany Mickens, meanwhile, posed as her mother’s in-home care provider, according to investigators. Neither allegedly disclosed their familial relationship during the public assistance application process.

The two also lived in Brittany’s home, but the mother “illegally” received a housing voucher for it, according to the DA’s office.

“Applicants are not eligible to receive housing vouchers while they are living in a home owned by a relative,” the release stated.

The DA’s Public Assistance Division began investigating after the Housing Authority notified them of discrepancies.

Errica was surveilled during the investigation, during which time she was observed moving trash cans, carrying tires, driving, shopping and handling large suitcases without any help, prosecutors said.

Investigators also found photos on Facebook showing Errica and Brittany on trips to Italy, France and Belize, according to the release. One picture allegedly depicted the two on a rollercoaster at Disneyland Paris, despite the mother’s claim to be bedridden.

More than $600,000 was ultimately discovered in their bank accounts and authorities also learned the two recently purchased a 2019 Land Rover, according to authorities.

“The brazen way this program was exploited by these two individuals to steal taxpayer dollars is beyond disturbing. If you’re going to cheat the system, we will find out and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law,” DA Todd Spitzer said in a news release.

Errica and Brittany Mickens have each been charged with one felony count each of grand theft public housing fraud, grand theft of housing funds, medical insurance fraud and grand theft. In addition, they face four enhancements of aggravated white collar crime.

Both face eight years in prison if convicted as charged.