Concord, NH – Attorney General John M. Formella, Hillsborough County Attorney John Coughlin, and Manchester Police Chief Allen D. Aldenberg announce that Kayla Montgomery, age 31, of Manchester, New Hampshire, was arrested on January 5, 2022, in Manchester. Ms. Montgomery's arrest was pursuant to an arrest warrant for one charge of Welfare Fraud, a class A felony, contrary to New Hampshire RSA 167:17-b. This charge alleges that between December 2019 and June 2021, Kayla Montgomery obtained over $1,500 in food stamp benefits by failing to remove Harmony Montgomery from Kayla's family account with NH DHHS Division of Family Assistance, and continuing to collect food stamp benefits for Harmony, despite the fact that Harmony was no longer living with Kayla and Kayla's husband, Adam Montgomery.

Kayla Montgomery is not the biological mother of Harmony Montgomery.

Ms. Montgomery is expected to be arraigned at 11:00 a.m. today in the Hillsborough County Superior Court North. The arraignment will likely be accessible via WebEx.

Officials are continuing to search for Harmony and are requesting the public's assistance in locating her.

The charges and allegations against Ms. Montgomery are merely accusations, and she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.