Boxer Jamie Mitchell and adoptive father sentenced to probation in welfare fraud case.

Olympic female boxing hopeful Jamie Mitchell—who started her career at the Salinas Boxing Club—has spent her life fighting abusers and bullies, mostly inside the system designed to protect her. 

A Weekly cover story about Mitchell's saga and her quest to survive, and to nearly become a member of the U.S. Olympic female boxing team, illuminates how much she overcame.

The story is also cited by the District Attorney's Office as the reason they knew she was training in Las Vegas, and potentially guilty of welfare fraud.

Soon after the story ran, an investigation was launched by the Monterey County District Attorney's Welfare Fraud Unit.

For Mitchell, this one was a losing fight.

On July 13, Mitchell, 32, was sentenced to three years of probation by Monterey County Superior Court Judge Carrie Panetta. 

Mitchell's adoptive father, retired Seaside Police officer Barry Pasquarosa, 60, was also found guilty of fraud and sentenced to three years probation.

The two have already repaid $13,640 to the Monterey County Department of Social Services, District Attorney Dean Flippo announced in a press release.

Mitchell was collecting benefits from the Social Services Department for herself and her son between 2014 and 2016, reporting that she was living with Pasquerosa in Pacific Grove.

Instead, she was splitting time between Pacific Grove and Vegas.

Evidence showed that her son had been enrolled in school in Las Vegas since 2014, according to the DA's office.

"We should've reported her residential status sooner," says Pasquarosa, who has worked in aiding parolees re-enter society for years after his time as a police officer. 

Mark C. Anderson contributed to this report.

Editor's Note: Barry Pasquarosa's name was misspelled in the original post.