Whitefish Bay man & woman, accused of bilking $115K worth of benefits plead not guilty
MILWAUKEE COUNTY -- A Whitefish Bay couple accused of bilking the government out of $115,000 worth of public assistance benefits meant for the poor made their initial appearance in court on Tuesday, December 22nd.
Mary Carini-Gallagher faces one count of public assistance fraud -- greater than $10,000 and one count of failure to disclose event affecting eligibility -- greater than $10,000.
Todd Schaller faces two counts of conspiracy to commit public assistance fraud/get benefits -- greater than $10,000 and conspiracy to commit public assistance fraud/failure to disclose event affecting eligibility.
In court on Tuesday, it was determined there is enough evidence for Carini-Gallagher and Schaller to stand trial in this case. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for January 22nd.
Carini-Gallagher and Schaller seemed like a typical suburban couple -- living in a home in Whitefish Bay valued at nearly $400,000.
Mary Carini-Gallagher and Todd Schaller's Whitefish Bay home
Search warrant executed at Mary Carini-Gallagher and Todd Schaller's Whitefish Bay home
Whitefish Bay police showed up at that home near Santa Monica Boulevard and Belle Avenue in Whitefish Bay back in March with a search warrant.
A criminal complaint says the couple bilked the government out of $115,000 worth of public assistance benefits meant for the poor.
The complaint says some of this dates back to 2007, and Carini-Gallagher allegedly didn't tell officials that she shared the Whitefish Bay home with Schaller -- even during a seven-year period during which Schaller had an income of more than a million dollars.
Mary Carini-Gallagher and Todd Schaller
"I think it's a good thing when justice prevails. Absolutely," Joanne Schulz said.
Schulz knows Carini-Gallagher. She hired Carini-Gallagher to work at her Whitefish Bay luggage store last year.
When the search warrant was executed at the Carini-Gallagher/Schaller home, thousands of dollars worth of stolen luggage was recovered.
Schulz found her items being sold on eBay.
Schulz says in all, inventory at the store showed a total of $90,000 in missing merchandise.
So far, Carini-Gallagher hasn't been charged in connection with that stolen luggage.
"The one thing she can't have is any more of my time. Her going to jail over this or not, is not going to help me in my store," Schulz said.
Joanne Schulz Whitefish Bay luggage store
No one answered the door at the Whitefish Bay home when FOX6 News stopped by on Monday, December 21st.
The charging document indicates Carini-Gallagher told police being a mother was what she was born do to -- and that she falsified the information given to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services so she could stay at home with her children.