Trace Thomas, a member of the Uniontown City Council, is facing criminal charges after receiving nearly $7,000 in state food and heating benefits while not reporting his income over a two-year period.
The Pennsylvania State Office of the Inspector General alleges Thomas received just over $5,700 in SNAP funding and another $1,000 in the Low Income Energy Assistance program.
#BREAKING: Democrat Pennsylvania councilman Trace Thomas charged with SNAP benefits fraud.
— Insider Wire (@InsiderWire) November 13, 2026
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Over the next two years, Thomas was paid more than $166,000 in wages while continuing to report himself as unemployed on eight applications for funds as late as August 2025, according to his criminal complaint.
Along with his applications, Thomas also had to complete phone interviews with the county assistance office for SNAP benefits, during which he did not report employment or income, the complaint alleges.
More than a year after receiving his first pay from Senior Life, Thomas sent a letter to the county assistance office in September 2024 stating “that he was unemployed and looking for a job,” court paperwork stated.
Thomas was elected to a four-year term on Uniontown City Council in 2023.
Judge Jason Cox set Thomas' bond at $20,000 during his Thursday arraignment. Thomas posted a self-surety bond. Cox later recused himself from the case because he ran against Thomas in a magistrate judge primary in 2021. Cox won that primary. The case was reassigned to Judge Ronald Haggerty, and a preliminary hearing is set for December 10.
Thomas faces a third-degree felony charge and could face up to seven years in prison and a fine of $15,000 if convicted.
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