AUGUSTA — David Stain, 46, of Lewiston has pleaded guilty to two felony counts of welfare fraud and was sentenced to serve one year in jail, with all but 60 days suspended.

According to a press release from the Attorney General’s Office, Stain pleaded guilty to two counts of theft for stealing food stamps and public assistance benefits in the amount of $11,001, each charge punishable by up to five years in prison.

In addition to the jail sentence, Androscoggin County Superior Court Justice MaryGay Kennedy sentenced Stain to one year of probation, with the requirement that he pay restitution to the city and state.

According to the AG’s Office, Stain admitted that for two years in February 2009, he obtained $9,407 in public assistance from the city of Lewiston by failing to disclose that his wife, who also receives public benefits, was living in his household.

Stain also admitted stealing $1,600 in benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, by selling his Electronic Benefits Transfer Card with $200 of monthly benefits to his sister for eight months and providing her with his PIN number so she could access the benefits.

Stain used the cash to buy cigarettes.

He was one of five local people indicted on welfare fraud charges in January, the result of an ongoing investigation by the Attorney General’s Office.

At the time, Assistant Attorney General Leanne Robbin said the state was cracking down on welfare cheats. Robbin, who heads the financial crimes division, said she and her team of lawyers are working with officials at the Department of Health and Human Services to investigate and prosecute welfare fraud cases. They also work closely with local law enforcement officials in the cities where the fraudulent activity is taking place, she said.

“We will continue to work with DHHS and local law enforcement agencies to hold benefit recipients accountable for the proper use of our limited resources,” Attorney General William Schneider said.

“Food stamps and General Assistance are designed to give our neighbors a hand in a time of need, not maintain a lifestyle through fraud and illegal trafficking,” he said.

As part of the investigation that resulted in charges against Stain, also indicted on Jan. 4 were:

– Katherine M. Pike, 40, of 459 Plummer Hill Road, Waterford,  charged with one count of theft by deception and one count of misuse of identification.

– Christopher S. Frazer, 43, of 28 Walnut St., on one count of unlawful trafficking in drugs, one count of felony theft by deception and three counts of misuse of identification.

– Manny Souza, 20, of 391 Lisbon St., Lewiston, charged with one count of felony theft by deception, one count of misuse of identification and one count of unlawful trafficking in drugs.

– Robert W. Baylor, 34, of 128 Campus Ave., Lewiston, charged with one count of felony theft by deception.

Also, as part of that investigation, the AG’s Office filed misdemeanor complaints in 8th District Court in Lewiston on Jan. 3 against Shanon Drummond on two charges of theft by deception and one charge of unsworn falsification; William Dunn, on two charges of theft by deception; and Duane Thomas, on one charge of theft by deception.

According to Lewiston police, the investigation is ongoing and more charges of welfare fraud are expected.