(Photo from Shutterstock)
- The suspects each allegedly collected more than $20,000 in ineligible welfare benefits.
Two Mississippi residents were recently arrested for the alleged fraudulent collection of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits.
According to information released by the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) on Thursday, a resident in Jefferson Davis County as well as a Lauderdale County resident were arrested as part of separate investigations.
The Jefferson Davis County resident, identified as Victoria Reese, was arrested on October 37 after an investigation performed by the MDHS Investigations Division determined she allegedly failed to accurately report income within the household.
That evidence, secured as part of Agent Guy DeMars’ investigation, was used to secure an indictment through the Jefferson Davis County District Attorney’s Office.
Reese is accused of collecting $25,698 worth of SNAP benefits for which her household was not eligible.
A separate investigation within Lauderdale County led to the arrest of Shawnetta D. Hill. The investigation conducted by Agent Michael Reynolds determined Hill had allegedly collected $22,184 in ineligible SNAP benefits.
An indictment for Hill’s arrest was procured on August 27, resulting in Hill turning herself in on October 16.
“This is an example of the continued collaboration between our investigations team, County offices, District Attorneys, and local law enforcement,” MDHS Inspector General Sandra Griffith said in a statement.
The Investigative Division of MSDH was created in 2018 in an effort to deter and investigate incidents of benefit overpayments.
“This investigation demonstrates the controls we have in place to identify, investigate, and eliminate fraud in our programs; plainly, those controls are working,” MDHS Executive Director Bob Anderson said.
MDHS stated that indictments are not convictions and all parties are “presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
Jeremy Pittari
