Sheriff: North Carolina Woman Charged with Food Stamp Fraud, Received over $15K in Benefits

A North Carolina woman was recently arrested for allegedly committing food stamp fraud after receiving benefits of over $15,500.

Shontryail Tinikal Russell, 39, was charged with felony food stamp fraud and felony obtaining property by false pretense, the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office announced on Sunday.

In April, detectives with the sheriff’s office received a tip from the Department of Social Services that Russell was receiving food stamp benefits that she was not entitled to receive.

Detectives discovered that the 39-year-old mother allegedly received benefits of over $15,500 after she falsely reported that her child was living with her. Upon further investigation, it was revealed that Russell’s child was living with their biological father.

Russell was taken into custody and is currently being held at the Alamance County Detention Center and is currently being held on a $10,000 bond.

In October 2021, the Biden administration increased food stamp benefits by 25 percent to participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Breitbart News previously reported.

Around the same time the benefits increase was announced, a study was released that revealed over half of the nation’s non-citizens receive food stamps, including illegal immigrants, Breitbart News highlighted.

When Joe Biden was vice president in the second term of the Obama administration, food stamp fraud ballooned by 61 percent, growing from $367.1 million in 2012 to $592.7 million in 2016, according to Forbes.

Breitbart News documented that the Trump administration had success in decreasing food stamp dependence while also cracking down on those who committed food stamp crimes.

You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.