LOS ANGELES — “Octomom” Nadya Suleman pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of failing to report $30,000 that authorities say she was earning when she applied for public-assistance benefits.
The 38-year-old single mother of 14 children was released on her own recognizance after arraignment in Los Angeles County Superior Court on three counts of welfare fraud.
She was ordered to report to the county’s early-disposition court on Feb. 3, where Deputy District Attorney Bill Clark said authorities will try to resolve the case without a trial.
Authorities say Suleman, when she applied for welfare last year, failed to disclose residuals from videos and money she was paid for personal appearances.
“She went to the Los Angeles County Department of Social Services and asked for food stamps,” Clark told reporters outside court. “And they gave them to her.”