A Copiah County woman is in legal trouble for fraudulently receiving money from a federal food assistance program.
The Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) reports that Ashley Johnson was served an arrest warrant by authorities in mid-April after an investigation revealed she had committed fraud through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program {SNAP).
Johnson is said to have acquired $31,259 in SNAP benefits by not accurately reporting household income and composition accurately to MDHS. Based on the evidence obtained during the investigation, the case was referred to the Copiah County District Attorney’s office. The Copiah County District Attorney secured an indictment in March.
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“This is a great example of collaboration between our investigations team, county offices, and local law enforcement,” MDHS Inspector General Sandra Griffith said.
Agent Christopher Park of the MDHS Investigations Division investigated the case.
“This investigation demonstrates the strengthened controls we have in place to identify, investigate, and eliminate fraud in our programs,” MDHS Executive Bob Anderson said.
