Former Georgia Official Rocked a Fake Baby Bump in Scam to Obtain Paid Maternity Leave

Authorities said that a former Georgia official lied about being pregnant as part of a scheme to get paid maternity leave. However, her plan fell apart when a co-worker realized her baby bump was fake.

According to an investigation released by Georgia’s Inspector General Office earlier this week, Robin Folsom, 43, allegedly fabricated a baby daddy to email her bosses saying she was on bed rest after giving birth in May 2021.

An Inspector General news release said two months earlier, a co-worker at the state’s Vocational Rehabilitation Agency saw Folsom’s fake pregnancy stomach “come away” from her body.

A release stated that Folsom, the agency’s director of external affairs, sent her colleagues photos of her baby, but they were of children with “various skin tones.”

The indictment against her stated that in October 2021, Folsom was pressed by federal investigators about the existence of the father, Bran Otmembebwe. When Folsom was pressed, however, she insisted he actually existed.

In July 2020, Fulsom informed the agency that she had already given birth and got pregnant again in August 2021. However, according to the IG, there was no official record of Folsom giving birth, and her insurance records did not indicate pregnancy or delivery.