Mississippi authorities arrested four people in connection with a large-scale food stamp fraud scheme worth around $131,000, District Attorney Matthew Barton stated Thursday.
The DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office, and the Mississippi Department of Human Services all released information about the indictments, which stated that the four women were charged individually with failing to disclose income and changes in circumstances to qualify for government assistance.
“It’s essentially a food fraud case where they failed to disclose changes and circumstances, omitted income,” Barton explained. “They were receiving in order to qualify for certain government assistance and benefits.”
The four suspects’ alleged fraud totals are:
- Stephanie Wright – three-count indictment, $18,114
- Tiffany Harrell – five-count indictment, $30,443
- Syerra Lynks – three-count indictment $30,853
- Lashonda Smith – five-count indictment, $52,053
Authorities said the fraudulent conduct started in 2020 and lasted until earlier this year. The investigation is underway.