Former Madera County Worker Pleads Guilty to Identity Theft and Stealing Government Benefits

Former Madera County social services worker Leticia Mariscal, aged 55, has admitted to a years-long fraudulent scheme involving the theft of identities and government-funded nutrition assistance benefits, according to announcements by U.S. Attorney Eric Grant. As reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mariscal pleaded guilty to committing aggravated identity theft by manipulating her position to redirect CalFresh benefits to herself.

CalFresh, which is California's iteration of the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), aims to support qualifying residents in food purchasing. Misusing her access to county databases, Mariscal acquired the personal information of individuals, many of whom either were not U.S. citizens, were elderly, or deceased, and set up or continued benefits in their names, crafting EBT cards which she then misappropriated for her family's use, as detailed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The extent of Mariscal's exploitations revealed over $40,000 treacherously taken from over 15 victims, as elucidated in court documents. Exploiting vulnerabilities, Mariscal specifically targeted non-U.S. citizens, falsely warning them of potential immigration consequences to deter their benefits usage, thus leaving the funds available for her theft.

Investigations into the case were led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation alongside the Madera County District Attorney's Office. Assistance U.S. Attorneys Joseph Barton and Arelis Clemente are credited with prosecuting the case. Scheduled to be sentenced on April 13 by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston, Mariscal's legal consequences include a mandatory two-year prison stint and could extend to a $250,000 fine, within the judge's discretion and after the review of applicable sentencing guidelines and statutory factors.