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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A mother who avoided jail time for leaving her 2-year-old son in a sweltering car was among 66 state residents charged Friday with welfare fraud.</p><p>Rosemine Chery, 29, of Wilkes-Barre, was charged with defrauding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) of $5,296 in June, according to the state Office of Inspector General. She will be temporarily disqualified from receiving public benefits in the program.</p><p>Chery and her mother, Marie Lourdes Francois of Wilkes-Barre, were charged last summer for leaving the boy inside their car for about a half hour as they shopped in Wilkes-Barre Township. The child was sweating profusely and had to be rushed to an area hospital where he was treated for heat exhaustion.</p><p>The heat inside the car caused the child&#8217;s temperature to rise to 102 degrees before a bystander was able to open the driver&#8217;s-side door through the partially opened window, police said. The child was placed into the custody of county Children &amp; Youth Services.</p><p>Chery <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/669218/mother-grandmother-get-probation-for-leaving-2-year-old-in-sweltering-car" target="_blank">received two years of probation</a> on July 26. Francois got 1&#189; years.</p><p>Darline Chery, 31, of Wilkes-Barre, was the only other Luzerne County resident hit with welfare fraud charges Friday. It was unclear if the two were related.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Rosemine Chery leaves a district judge&#8217;s office in Wilkes-Barre Township in August after her arraignment on child endangerment charges. She was hit with welfare fraud charges Friday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_web1_web1_TTL080316Chery1-cmyk-4-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Rosemine Chery leaves a district judge&#8217;s office in Wilkes-Barre Township in August after her arraignment on child endangerment charges. She was hit with welfare fraud charges Friday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Joe Dolinsky</p><p>jdolinsky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Joe Dolinsky at 570-991-6110 or on Twitter @JoeDolinskyTL</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Wilkes-Barre mom who left child in hot car among 66 charged with welfare fraud