A judge has set a personal bond for Kelli Bryant for the welfare fraud charges she faces while remaining jailed on a $50,000 cash/surety bond for allegedly abandoning her kids to live on their own in a filth-ridden home for years.
The $29,397 personal bond — which requires no cash or surety to be posted — is the same dollar amount that Bryant is accused of fraudulently collecting in support payments from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services from January 2022 through February 2025 while the children were reportedly living without her or any other adult supervision.
Oakland County sheriff’s deputies discovered Bryant’s three children, ages 15, 13 and 12, living alone in a Pontiac townhome on Lydia Lane in February. Officials have described the home’s condition as “uninhabitable” and “squalid.”
It’s alleged Bryant abandoned the children in 2020 or 2021.
The personal bond, set Tuesday by 50th District Judge Cynthia Thomas Walker, “reflects the amount of support (Bryant) denied her children while they were living alone, without hygiene products, limited access to food, and virtually no contact with the outside world,” Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald stated in a news release.
Bryant, 34, was charged last month for the alleged child abuse, punishable by up to life in prison. A couple weeks ago, three counts of welfare fraud were announced.
The prosecutor’s office said a review of Bryant’s MDHHS payments showed the overpayment, leading to the charges.
If convicted of the welfare fraud charges, Bryant could face up to four years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine.
Bryant’s next court appearance is scheduled for April 15 for both sets of charges.
Man accused of stabbing woman because she wore his clothes will get psych evaluation