PONTIAC, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The Oakland County mother accused of abandoning her young children for years at a townhome in Pontiac is facing charges of welfare fraud in addition to three counts of first-degree child abuse.

The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office said the new charges against 34-year-old Kelli Bryant include collecting $30,000 in government benefits intended to help care for her children. Officials say she collected the money from January 2022 to February 2025.

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Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said Bryant’s children “deserved better.” She said, “The defendant appears to have effectively abandoned her children while collecting their public assistance.” McDonald described the crime as “theft.”

Bryant could face up to life in prison if convicted on the first-degree child abuse charges. Welfare fraud is punishable by up to four years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Authorities discovered Bryant’s 15, 13, and 12-year-old children living in filthy conditions last month while conducting a welfare check. Bryant allegedly moved to another residence years earlier and left her children alone. Officials say other than dropping off food occasionally, she ignored them.