A longtime California state welfare worker was arrested by federal authorities, who charged her in a multi-year scheme to rip off tens of thousands of dollars worth of benefits by using her position to steal the identities of elderly and dead people.
The accused swindler, 55-year-old Leticia Mariscal of Madera, CA, allegedly stole the identities of more than 15 individuals using data from county databases that she had access to as a Madera County benefits eligibility worker. She then used the information to receive food stamp benefits from CalFresh, the Golden State’s version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), aka food stamps, using EBT cards in their names.
Mariscal then spent the purloined funds at Costco, Sam’s Club, and Von’s, authorities say. She was caught when the son of a 91-year-old nursing home patient said that she didn’t need food, according to the complaint. The alleged fraudster used the elderly woman’s information to pilfer around $3,000 in benefits.
A former #MaderaCounty benefits eligibility worker was arrested, charged for allegedly stealing more than $40,000 in CalFresh benefits between December 2020 and April 2025.https://t.co/SkM8NYKyi8 pic.twitter.com/cJuNEtwr8z
— FBI Sacramento (@FBISacramento) December 12, 2025
“According to court records, between December 2020 and April 2025, Mariscal improperly used county databases to which she had access through her job to obtain identifying information for individuals who were elderly or deceased. She then secretly approved these individuals to receive CalFresh benefits, printed EBT cards in their names with the benefits deposited thereon, and spent the proceeds. Altogether, Mariscal used the identities of more than 15 people to steal benefits totaling more than $40,000. She was placed on leave earlier this year when her scheme was discovered,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California, said in a press release announcing the bust.
Mariscal admitted to the scheme after she was confronted with security camera video footage “showing her opening accounts and racking up charges at local big-box stores, the complaint states,” according to the New York Post. She then “attempted to pin the fraud on a local gang member and former boyfriend who bought and sold the stolen welfare cards, including to her family members.”
The alleged thief claimed that she was afraid of him in an attempt to shift the blame, according to prosecutors.
Mariscal was placed on leave during the investigation, which was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) with help from the Madera County District Attorney’s Office.
“If convicted, Mariscal faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for stealing CalFresh benefits. She also faces an additional two years in prison for misusing other people’s identities to commit the crime. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,” the USAO press release states.
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
Chris Donaldson is an ordinary American who is concerned about rampant corruption as well as the ongoing attacks on our way of life by those who have contempt for our hard-earned freedoms. A Navy veteran, he has been a frequent contributor to conservative websites and resides in Florida.
- Trump trolls Biden, Obama in savage new plaques added to White House Presidential Walk of Fame - December 18, 2025
- Dems dutifully dumped on Trump’s big primetime speech, but was it effective? - December 18, 2025
- Chip Roy accuses his party of buying MTG’s vote: ‘That’s the kind of sh*t that keeps happening’ - December 17, 2025
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
BPR INSIDER COMMENTS
Scroll down for non-member comments or join our insider conversations by becoming a member. We'd love to have you!
