A Uniontown, Pennsylvania, city council member is accused of telling the county he had no job so he could collect about $6,700 in food and heating aid while earning more than $166,000.
Story Snapshot
- Trace Thomas, 34, a Uniontown City Council member, faces one count of fraudulently obtaining benefits.
- State investigators say he collected $5,705 in SNAP food aid and $1,000 in LIHEAP heating aid over nearly two years.
- He allegedly listed himself as unemployed on eight benefit applications while working for a health care company.
- His preliminary hearing is set for December 10, and he has not been convicted of any crime.
Council Member Accused Of Hiding A Paycheck
Trace Thomas was arraigned on Thursday, November 12, in Fayette County on one count of fraudulently obtaining benefits. An arraignment is the first court step, where a person hears the charge against him. The Pennsylvania Office of State Inspector General, the state agency that investigates fraud in public aid programs, brought the case.
More Democrat Fraud — They Can't Help It They're Moral Mutants
A Democrat member of Uniontown, PA’s City Council was arraigned on charges that he fraudulently obtained ~$7,000 in taxpayer-funded food & heating assistance while earning more than $166,000 over the same period.
— Fay Moore (@MooreFay) November 13, 2026
According to the criminal complaint, Thomas did not report his job or his income while he collected $5,705 in SNAP benefits and $1,000 through LIHEAP. SNAP is the federal food aid program once known as food stamps. LIHEAP is a federal program that helps low-income households pay their heating bills. Both are meant for people whose income falls below set limits.
What Investigators Say He Hid
Investigators say Senior Life, a Pittsburgh-based health care company, hired Thomas in September 2023. Over about the next two years, he earned more than $166,000 there, according to the complaint.
During that time, the complaint says, Thomas reported himself as unemployed on eight benefit applications, the most recent in August 2025. Investigators also say he did not report his job or income during phone interviews with the county assistance office. In September 2024, more than a year after his first paycheck from Senior Life, he allegedly sent the office a letter stating “that he was unemployed and looking for a job.”
Bond, A Judge Steps Aside And Next Steps
Judge Jason Cox set bond at $20,000 at the arraignment, and Thomas posted the bond himself that morning, a pledge he would owe if he failed to show up for court. Cox later stepped aside from the case. Thomas had run against Cox for magistrate judge in a 2021 primary and lost. The case was handed to Judge Ronald Haggerty.
A preliminary hearing is set for December 10. At that hearing, a judge decides whether there is enough evidence for the case to move toward trial.
What The City Has Said
Thomas was elected to a four-year term on Uniontown City Council in 2023. No response from Thomas or a lawyer for him has been reported.
Uniontown’s city solicitor, Tim Witt, said the city is aware of the charge and is reviewing it. “The charge does not relate to the City and does not require any action by City Council or the City at this time,” Witt said. He added that “individuals are entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven otherwise.”
Part Of A Wider State Push
The state inspector general’s office has made benefits fraud cases a priority. In 2025, the office charged 310 people with a combined $3 million in public benefits theft, and the state has filed felony charges against 1,392 people in such cases under the current administration, according to state figures.
Aid programs like SNAP and LIHEAP depend on people reporting their income honestly, since the amount of help is based on what a household earns. The Thomas case is about whether a sitting elected official told the truth on those forms. He is presumed innocent, and a judge will hear the evidence on December 10.
Sources:
heraldstandard.com, heraldstandard.com, pa.gov
