🧺 February 21, 2022: All Thats Interesting > Folsom appeared to be primarily motivated by paid time off. - #Georgia

By Kaleena Fraga 

Edited By John Kuroski

Published February 21, 2022

Updated February 22, 2022

allthatsinteresting.com

After she “gave birth” on May 1, 2021, a man named Bran Otmembebwe emailed leaders at her agency. Claiming to be the father of Folsom’s newborn baby, he said that Folsom’s doctor had “mandated several weeks of rest following the delivery.”

As a result, Folsom’s superiors gave her seven weeks of paid leave “that it otherwise would not have approved.” (Until that May, government employees in Georgia could take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave. A bill signed on May 5 granted them three weeks of paid paternal leave.)

But Bran Otmembebwe was merely a product of Folsom’s imagination.

“We ultimately didn’t find any evidence that he existed,” said McAfee. “That’s why she’s also been charged with identity fraud.”

This is not the first time Folsom has faked a pregnancy, though it is unclear what time off, if any, she received in the past. She had claimed to give birth in July 2020, as well. And in August 2021, just three months after the “birth” in question, she informed her employers that she was pregnant once again.

When the OIG checked in with the Office of Vital Records to review the birth certificates of Folsom’s “children,” they found “no indication that Folsom had ever delivered a child.”

After lying to investigators about Otmembebwe and the existence of her children, Folsom resigned from her position in October 2021. She’s now facing criminal charges and was indicted by a grand jury on Feb. 10, 2022.

“Fraud by state employees will not be tolerated,” said Attorney General Chris Carr following Folsom’s indictment.

“By working with Georgia’s independent Inspector General, we were able to discover, investigate and put an end to this alleged deception. We will always stand up to protect taxpayer dollars, and we look forward to presenting our case in court.”

McAfee seconded Carr, saying, “All state employees, and especially those that communicate with the media and general public on behalf on their agency, should be held to the highest standards of integrity and honesty.”

“OIG will continue to hold state employees accountable if they choose to deceive their superiors and receive undeserved compensation.”

For now, the consequences of Robin Folsom’s faked pregnancies are up in the air. She will return to court on April 4, where, if found guilty, she could spend up to 25 years in prison and pay up to $103,000 in fines.

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