Former Johnston County DSS Employee Admits To Stealing SNAP Benefits
SMITHFIELD — A former Johnston County Department of Social Services employee has pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing more than $100,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, after county officials first uncovered the scheme and alerted law enforcement.
Shermeca McCrary, 46, of Goldsboro, admitted to one count of theft of government property, federal prosecutors announced last week. She faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and will be ordered to forfeit $102,000 when sentenced later this year.
McCrary’s federal plea stems from a case that began in Johnston County, where DSS administrators contacted the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office on Dec. 14, 2023, after a client reported their EBT account had been drained despite not using the benefits. A county review found discrepancies tied to McCrary, then a food and nutrition employee.
Investigators later determined that several EBT accounts belonging to DSS clients were used to place online orders for goods delivered to McCrary’s home in Goldsboro. The sheriff’s office charged her in February 2024 with 50 felony counts connected to the alleged misuse of benefits.
Federal prosecutors said McCrary used her caseworker credentials to access SNAP accounts from January 2021 through January 2024, converting at least $102,000 in government funds for personal use.
“Safeguarding taxpayer-funded assistance programs is one of our office’s core responsibilities,” U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle said. “When a government employee abuses her position of trust to steal benefits intended to help families in need, we will act to hold her accountable.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office, and the Johnston County DSS Program Integrity unit continue to investigate. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Ontjes is prosecuting the case.
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Looks like safeguard program wasn’t on top of things. Happened since 2021.
Despicable, stealing food money from the poor.
Wow. There goes her job and reputation.I do not understand why she did this knowing that she would eventually get caught. I pray for her. She was my caseworker at one time and was a very nice lady.
“I do not understand why she did this knowing that she would eventually get caught.”
– A mental illness of which the individual believes they are due “reparations”.
-Also manifests in the form of DEI
Its amazing how folks bend over trying to tie everything to DEI. Ppl should seek help for that🙏🏾
Die sh$t is an horrible idea. I ran a business and always looked for the best worker who could work as a team. The h*ll with DEI.
I agree. Their reasoning with these DEI arguments is completely illogical.
Stupidest thing ever right? Like that has NOTHING to do with this smh.
How stupid could she be lol, knowing she would get caught and the low of taking from others to begin with.
Well that’s her A** now!
But there’s no fraud, waste or abuse.
Not sure where you heard that but there’s absolutely fraud, abuse and waste but it’s not the people doing it that the government likes to point fingers at. Most of the time if fraud is found in snap benefits it’s most always been a government employee. The nonsense that the current administration said recently that lazy people choose not to work to live off snap is the most absurd statement ever made. I seriously doubt that anyone sane would not work to only get less than 300 per month in food stamps. There’s no cash involved from the EBT card. I’ve heard about people selling them but even then it’s only half you get in cash. Then on top of that when it gets reported to social services about someone selling food stamps they rarely ever do anything. They literally said they needed the person buying them to come forward and nobody is going to get charges so nothing ever happens. Most of the time it’s addicts that sell them. It’s a huge circle of nobody doing their jobs to investigate. So I don’t know how they expect to make any program 100 percent fraud free. I think people take advantage of every single program , insurance claims, etc that they think they can get away with. I never understood how people could be that petty or ignorant to take advantage of programs, or lie on tax forms, whatever when everything can be verified these days.
You’re saying that the American taxpayer not only has to pay higher and higher taxes to support a bunch of people they are not related to. They then have to waste even more money to closely monitor and investigate those who decide to make it a scam? And it’s ok to sell the cards but once found out, they won’t do it again? So they actually continue to receive our tax money we sacrifice for, by getting up, going to work every day while we put our young children in daycare, and not spending more time with those we are truly respondible for. According to you, fraud is always there. I would put a stop to that by throwing the scammers in jail for 50 years. Make the punishment harsh. If they know they’ll just get a slap on the wrist and continue to get the free support, what is their incentive you stay honest?
300 or 292 per person 4 people get right at a grand
Did you even lift a finger to validate the information before making such a statement?
I found it very easily through the federal justice department website. Who paid you to say that?
She needs more than that. I hope she gets the maximum punishment.
No fraud in snap!!!!!’
Give her 20 years
She did this from 2021 til 2024 when she was charged and fired. How did it take so long for the recipients to realize that they weren’t getting their benefits? Were they deceased, no longer eligible or dead? 🤔
See Trump was RIGHT….and this proves it….there is NO telling how many people are scamming the system…….let’s start again and make every single person on SNAP, Medicaid have to prove their income, number of dependents and their disability and whatever else they need to do to positively identify them as eligible to receive benefits. Also make them have to update it yearly and that should cut down on cheaters like this. She needs to repay the government the money she stole.
All of the verification criteria you mention are already in place. All of this has to be provided prior to approval to receive benefits. Additionally, recipients have to be recertified, some bi-snnually, others annually. At that time everything is verified again. This is absolutely not a case of recipient fraud, waste, or abuse. This is a case of an employee malfeasance.
Your response doesn’t fit this case. The SNAP recipients did nothing wrong here. There was no misrepresentation.
Your response doesn’t fit this case. The SNAP recipients did nothing wrong here. There is no misrepresentation. They are victims of this misappropriation.
This wasn’t someone on SNAP. Did you even read it? You want to punish people on SNAP when 9 times out tof 10 it’s coming from the inside…
Yeah and then what do you say to kids who were innocent of their parents actions?
This is fake news. Multiple congressmen and the mainstream media told me that there is no fraud in the SNAP program. Do better, Joco Report.
This is NOT FAKE NEWS! I worked there prior in a different department. I saw the mug shot! 🤔
Nobody ever said “no” fraud, because there’s a little bit in every business– and it looks like it got caught here. Sometimes you know a thing’s happening, but you have to collect better evidence, so charges stick.
Unfortunately this is not an uncommon occurrence. Sadly the system is filled with fraud waste and abuse by those who know how to manipulate the system because they grew up in it and it’s a lifestyle..,
You mean to tell me
They let this go on for how many years are u kidding me
Search the federal justice website it is there! Take the roads colored glasses off please?
What a moron
She probably qualified for her own snap benefits ! These positions pay very little in fact just like a teaching salary it is low enough to qualify for a number of gov. Benefits. Does that make it right ? No. But you can empathize .
She don’t look like an illegal immigrant to Mee…..since folks wanna scream they are the ones getting them… But we know Trump will pardon her…
Where is Brett Farve, maybe she should contact him they have a lot in common.
This person did something illegal and she should be prosecute, it seems that some people want to use Trump as a good example of what’s right but they forget all the illegal things that he has been convicted of,I’m all for anyone committing a crime being sentenced but not just the poor, how about equal justice not just those who have big money and political influence.
How in the world was she able to even get away with doing this??? Makes you wonder, now, has there been other DSS employees that’s done this???? So sad. SMH
What would jesus do? A lot of frustration from folks who don’t receive or need SNAP. Some of us adults who pay taxes to assist this program were themselves on SNAP growing up. Don’t be so Privileged when children and elderly could go without food if they and/or their families don’t get SNAP.