Georgia Woman Accused Of Faking Pregnancy For Paid Time Off

A Georgia woman is facing charges in connection to faking a pregnancy to get paid time off from work. 

Robin Folsom, 43, has been charged with three counts of making a false statement and one count of identity fraud. A Fulton County grand jury indicted her on Feb. 10.

Folsom, who served as the Director of External Affairs for the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency, informed human resources in October of 2020 that she was pregnant. She announced the birth of her child in May of 2021, according to a press release from the Office of the Inspector General.

GVRA later received an email from someone claiming to be the child’s father, asking for more time off for Folsom to recover. The agency granted an additional seven weeks of paid FMLA leave.

But in March of 2021, one of Folsom’s co-workers reported seeing her fake pregnant belly “come away” from her stomach. People also became suspicious when she shared photos of her baby. The children depicted in the pictures she shared had different skin tones.

OIG discovered that the State Office of Vital Records had no birth certificates naming Folsom as a mother on file during its investigation. Her medical and insurance records did list her as having ever given birth. 

Following an interview with OIG, Folsom resigned in October of 2021.

“All state employees, and especially those that communicate with the media and general public on behalf on their agency, should be held to the highest standards of integrity and honesty,” Scott McAfee, the State Inspector General, said in the release. “OIG will continue to hold state employees accountable if they choose to deceive their superiors and receive undeserved compensation.”

The Georgia Attorney General’s Office will prosecute her case. If convicted, Folsom faces up to five years in prison for each charge of making a false statement and up to 10 years behind bars for the charge of identity fraud.