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An Augusta woman convicted of fraudulently collecting nearly $18,000 in food stamps was sentenced to 12 years in prison Wednesday.



The day before, a Richmond County Superior Court jury convicted April R. Paulk, 37, of public assistance fraud and eight counts of making false statements in a government matter. She failed to report income repeatedly to collect more food stamps than she was entitled to over a five-year period.



"I'm a loving person. I've got four kids," a tearful Paulk said Wednesday. "I want to make things right. I'm not a bad person."



Paulk's attitude was different Tuesday evening after her conviction. In a recorded jail phone call, Paulk said to a relative: "They make up this stuff and get away with it. Today wasn't right." The recording was played in court Wednesday.



Assistant District Attorney Amanda Pennington asked Judge Daniel J. Craig to impose the maximum sentence. Paulk doesn't believe she did anything wrong, which makes her a danger of continuing to commit these types of crimes, Pennington said.



In Georgia alone, about $8 million is stolen from the food stamp program every year, Jason Hardy of the Department of Human Services Office of Inspector General told the jury this week.



The judge didn't give Paulk the maximum. In addition to prison time, she was given 13 years probation.



This isn't the end of Paulk's legal troubles in Augusta. She has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of exploitation and neglect of disabled or elderly adults. That case has been pending for more than a year.



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