Pontiac mother faces welfare fraud, child abuse charges

Kelli Bryant, a 34-year-old mother from Pontiac, is facing multiple charges, including three counts of first-degree child abuse and three counts of welfare fraud, after allegedly abandoning her three children in squalid conditions. Prosecutor Karen McDonald stated that Bryant collected over $29,000 in public assistance for her children from January 2022 to February 2025 while they lived alone in a filthy home filled with garbage and human waste. The children, aged 15, 13, and 12, were found living in what authorities described as a 'biohazard,' surviving on sporadic food drop-offs from their mother. If convicted, Bryant could face life in prison for the child abuse charges and up to four years for each count of welfare fraud. The prosecutor's office is also pursuing the termination of Bryant's parental rights. The case highlights severe neglect and exploitation of resources intended for the children's care.