It looked pretty suspicious to Jim McHugh.

Documents that his wife, Carmen, found scattered in Nichols Park on Sept. 9 showed that a Beaumont family of eight was receiving $980 a month in cash and $462 in food stamps.

But a separate receipt appeared to show that the same family had recently purchased $4,000 in stereo equipment, including a karaoke machine.

The 72-year-old retired trucker thought he was looking at a possible case of welfare fraud.

So he did what he thought was the right thing: He called the welfare office in Banning.

No reply.

So began a frustrating week for McHugh, who tried unsuccessfully to persuade someone to investigate his wife's discovery.

He called the Riverside police substation on California Avenue. He said no one returned his call.

He went to the Riverside County Department of Public Social Services office on Kidd Street, where a receptionist asked him to leave the documents. He refused. "I was not about to turn over the papers and have it buried," he said.

So the receptionist gave McHugh the number of a state welfare fraud hot line, even though the county has its own hot line.

McHugh then called Riverside City Councilwoman Joy Defenbaugh, who suggested calling the county district attorney's office. But that office, McHugh said he was told, does not investigate alleged crimes unless they are referred to it by law enforcement.

On Sept. 16, after a newspaper contacted Riverside police about McHugh's complaint, an officer was sent to pick up the documents.

A police spokesman could not be reached for comment, but Lauri Vivion, chief investigator for the county Department of Public Social Services, said the welfare department and the police are now investigating.

The inquiry may or may not involve a violation of welfare law, Vivion said. The law requires welfare recipients to report purchases or gifts of items not essential for living, such as electronic equipment, with a value of more than $100.

Items such as heirlooms or cooking equipment purchased or received as gifts need not be reported. She said it is too early to say how this investigation will turn out, although violators face penalties including loss of public assistance benefits.

Regardless of the outcome of this case, McHugh said, he and his wife can't understand why a taxpayer should have so much trouble getting the attention of government officials.

"I wish I could answer that," McHugh said. "I really don't know."

Neither does Vivion.

She said the county regularly publishes fraud hot line numbers in local newspapers. McHugh was unaware that such a number existed.

"Somebody in the office should have helped," Vivion said, "but I really wouldn't say anybody per se dropped the ball."

She said 51 fraud investigators, including 29 sworn officers and a supervisor, conduct about 2,500 fraud investigations and background checks on welfare applicants each month.

Vivion said the department will look into ways to improve service, including posting fraud hot line numbers more prominently in welfare offices.

McHugh is glad he finally got someone's attention.

"I didn't go into this for bouquets or pats on the back," he said. "I was just trying to do something about it."

He kept a copy of the documents, just in case.

"I got such a runaround," he said, "no way am I going to let this fall through the cracks."

Published 9/23/1998