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MOTHER, WHO BELIEVES HER DAUGHTER HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. KAYLA MONTGOMERY APPEARED BEREFO A JUDGE ON THURSDAY, CHARGED WITH WELFARE FRA.UD KAYLA IS THE ESTRANGED WIFE OF ADAM MONTGOMERY, THE BIOLOGICAL FATHER OF HARMONY,HE T 7-YEAR-OLD GIRL MISSING AND NOT SEEN SINCE 2019. >> YOU WISH TO ENTER A PLEA OF T NOGUILTY AT THIS TIME. IS THAT CORRECT? >> Y.ES JASON: MONTGOMERY ISCC AUSED OF COLLECTING MORE THAN $1500 IN FOOD STAMPS FROM THE STATE OVER A PERIOD OF A YEAR AND A HALF, EVEN THOUGH HARMONY WANOS LONGER LIVING WITH HER AND ADAM. TH E JUDGE GRANTED PROSECUTION’S REQUEST FOR $5000 CASHAI B >> IT TELLS ME THERE’S SUSPICIONS FROM THE STATTHAT THERE MAY BE SOMETHING ELSE INVOLVED. I DON’T KNOW WHETHER THOSE SUSPICIONS ARE WELL-FOUNDED OR NOT. JASON: AT THIS TIME, KAYLA MONTGOMERY IS NOT FACING CHARGES DIRECTLY RELATED TO HARMONY’S DISAPPEARANCE. >> POLICARE E DOING A VERY THOROUGH INVESTIGATION. NOT ONLY IN THE DISAPPEARANCE OF HARMONY, BUT INTO WHEREVER THE TIPS AND EVIDENCE LEAD AND IF THOSE TIPS AND EVIDENCE LEAD TO ADDITIONAL CHARGES, THOSE CHARGES WILL LIKELBE BROUGHT. JASON: CHRISTINA LUBIN IS KAYLA’S MOTHER. SHE SAYS SHE ONLY MET HAONRM ONCE, ON THANKSGIVING IN 2019, BUT BELIEVES HARMONY DISAPARED SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. >> SHE SAID SHE’S WITH HER MOTHER. AND I DIDN’T QUESTION IT BEUSCA I DIDN’T KNOW UNTIL ALL THE NEWS THE HISTORY OF THE FAMY. JASON: LUBIN DOES NOT BELIEVE HER DAUGHTER HAD ANYTHING TOO WITH HARMONY’S DISAPPEARANCE AND LUBIN CONTINUES TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO THE POLE.IC >> I REALLY REALLY HOPE THE INFORMATION THAT CAME TO ME TODAY CAN HELP IN THE SEARORCH HARMONY, AND THAT’S REALLY WHERE MY PRAYERS ARE NOW. JASON: IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION THAT COULD HELP INVESTIGATORS, YOU’RE ASKED TO CONTACT THE MANCHESTER POLICE DEPARTMENT HOTLINE. YOU CAN CALL OR TEXT. THAT IS 603-203-6060. THANKS TO NEW DONATIONS TODAY, THE CASH REWARD FOR INFORMA
Woman accused of collecting food stamp benefits while failing to remove missing New Hampshire girl from family account
Kayla Montgomery faces felony welfare fraud charge
A woman connected to a missing New Hampshire girl has been arrested, investigators announced on Thursday morning.Kayla Montgomery, 31, of Manchester, faces a felony welfare fraud charge. She is accused of obtaining more than $1,500 in food stamp benefits by failing to remove Harmony Montgomery from the family’s account with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Family Assistance. Harmony, 7, is missing, and police said she has not been seen since October 2019. In court Thursday, prosecutors asked that bail be set at $5,000, saying Kayla Montgomery is a flight risk. Defense attorneys asked for personal recognizance bail, but the judge sided with the prosecution and set bail at $5,000.Defense attorney Paul Garrity said the amount is high for the charge.”It tells me there’s suspicions from the state that there may be something else involved,” he said. “I don’t know whether those suspicions are well-founded or not.””Police are doing a very thorough investigation, not only in the disappearance of Harmony, but into wherever the tips and evidence leads, and if those tips and evidence leads to additional charges, those charges will likely be brought,” said Assistant Attorney General Jesse O’Neill.Investigators said Kayla Montgomery collected the money between December 2019 and June 2021 despite the fact Harmony was no longer living with Kayla Montgomery and her husband, Adam Montgomery, who is Harmony’s biological father.Kayla Montgomery is not the biological mother of Harmony Montgomery, authorities said.In an affidavit, investigators said Kayla Montgomery originally added Harmony to her account with the Division of Family Assistance in February 2019, saying in a report that Adam Montgomery and Harmony were living with her. The filing increased the benefits going to the Montgomerys by $129 per month that March, according to the affidavit.Juvenile court records show that Adam Montgomery was granted full custody of Harmony in February 2019, investigators said.In January 2021, Kayla Montgomery informed DHHS that her household consisted of her and her husband, three children they had in common and Harmony, all claimed as tax dependents, police said. A case worker noted that Kayla Montgomery seemed confused about whether Harmony lived with her because she said she went to her mother’s every other weekend.Another filing was made with DHHS in June 2021 stating that Harmony had moved back with her mother and should be removed from the case, police said.Police investigating Harmony’s disappearance said Kayla Montgomery told them she believed Adam Montgomery took Harmony to live with her mother on the day after Thanksgiving 2019. She told police she hadn’t seen Harmony since, investigators said.Christina Lubin, Kayla Montgomery’s mother, said she believes Harmony disappeared after Thanksgiving 2019 and before Dec. 5 of that year. She recalled a time in late December 2019 when she asked her daughter about the then-5-year-old. “(Kayla) said she’s with her mother, and I didn’t question it because I didn’t know until all the news the history of the family,” Lubin said.Harmony’s mother has told police that she hasn’t seen her daughter since a Facetime call around Easter 2019, investigators said.Lubin said she does not believe her daughter had a role in Harmony’s disappearance. “She’s staying very, very consistent in what she is saying,” Lubin said.Reward money for information about Harmony’s whereabouts has grown to $60,000. Anyone with information about her disappearance is asked to call or text 603-203-6060.Previous coverage:Father of missing girl accused of abuse, says he left her with her mother, affidavit says DCYF director stands by agency as search for missing girl continuesBusiness owners increase reward for information about missing 7-year-old girlTip line, rewards announced for information about missing 7-year-old girlNeighbors react as Manchester police search for clues to missing girlPolice search Manchester property in connection to missing 7-year-oldGirl last seen in Manchester in October 2019; police seek tips from publicSee video from Kayla Montgomery’s court appearance Thursday:
A woman connected to a missing New Hampshire girl has been arrested, investigators announced on Thursday morning.
Kayla Montgomery, 31, of Manchester, faces a felony welfare fraud charge. She is accused of obtaining more than $1,500 in food stamp benefits by failing to remove Harmony Montgomery from the family’s account with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Family Assistance.
Harmony, 7, is missing, and police said she has not been seen since October 2019.
In court Thursday, prosecutors asked that bail be set at $5,000, saying Kayla Montgomery is a flight risk. Defense attorneys asked for personal recognizance bail, but the judge sided with the prosecution and set bail at $5,000.
Defense attorney Paul Garrity said the amount is high for the charge.
“It tells me there’s suspicions from the state that there may be something else involved,” he said. “I don’t know whether those suspicions are well-founded or not.”
“Police are doing a very thorough investigation, not only in the disappearance of Harmony, but into wherever the tips and evidence leads, and if those tips and evidence leads to additional charges, those charges will likely be brought,” said Assistant Attorney General Jesse O’Neill.
Investigators said Kayla Montgomery collected the money between December 2019 and June 2021 despite the fact Harmony was no longer living with Kayla Montgomery and her husband, Adam Montgomery, who is Harmony’s biological father.
Kayla Montgomery is not the biological mother of Harmony Montgomery, authorities said.
In an affidavit, investigators said Kayla Montgomery originally added Harmony to her account with the Division of Family Assistance in February 2019, saying in a report that Adam Montgomery and Harmony were living with her. The filing increased the benefits going to the Montgomerys by $129 per month that March, according to the affidavit.
Juvenile court records show that Adam Montgomery was granted full custody of Harmony in February 2019, investigators said.
In January 2021, Kayla Montgomery informed DHHS that her household consisted of her and her husband, three children they had in common and Harmony, all claimed as tax dependents, police said. A case worker noted that Kayla Montgomery seemed confused about whether Harmony lived with her because she said she went to her mother’s every other weekend.
Another filing was made with DHHS in June 2021 stating that Harmony had moved back with her mother and should be removed from the case, police said.
Police investigating Harmony’s disappearance said Kayla Montgomery told them she believed Adam Montgomery took Harmony to live with her mother on the day after Thanksgiving 2019. She told police she hadn’t seen Harmony since, investigators said.
Christina Lubin, Kayla Montgomery’s mother, said she believes Harmony disappeared after Thanksgiving 2019 and before Dec. 5 of that year. She recalled a time in late December 2019 when she asked her daughter about the then-5-year-old.
“(Kayla) said she’s with her mother, and I didn’t question it because I didn’t know until all the news the history of the family,” Lubin said.
Harmony’s mother has told police that she hasn’t seen her daughter since a Facetime call around Easter 2019, investigators said.
Lubin said she does not believe her daughter had a role in Harmony’s disappearance.
“She’s staying very, very consistent in what she is saying,” Lubin said.
Reward money for information about Harmony’s whereabouts has grown to $60,000. Anyone with information about her disappearance is asked to call or text 603-203-6060.
Previous coverage:
See video from Kayla Montgomery’s court appearance Thursday: