“Millionaire” Welfare Fraud Couple Caught: Police

The couple who went on the run after they were accused of welfare fraud while living on a luxury yacht were taken into custody in South Florida Tuesday, authorities said.

Colin and Andrea Chisholm were arrested in the area of Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale Police said. No other details of their arrest were immediately known.

Broward Jail records showed they were being held without bond Tuesday afternoon.

The couple was charged with milking public assistance programs, mainly in their home state of Minnesota, for more than $165,000 between January 2005 and March 2012 in that state alone.

The criminal case against Colin Chisholm, 62, and Andrea Chisholm, 53, details a lavish lifestyle. Records show they had $3 million in various bank accounts during that period. They are also accused of receiving welfare benefits from Florida.

The couple lived in a house in Lighthouse Point while in the Sunshine State. It has since been demolished but they paid several thousand dollars a month while living there.

Authorities said they made a few payments on the yacht they bought while in Florida for $1.2 million, but it was repossessed by the Coast Guard.

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