A Pa. welfare supervisor allegedly stole more than $20,000 in EBT benefits, and a man told investigators what she traded the cards for

A Pennsylvania welfare office supervisor is accused of stealing 48 EBT cards and using them for more than 270 transactions worth $20,558.61. According to the New York Post, prosecutors allege that Sheila McDonald, a 46-year-old Pittsburgh resident, also gave some of the cards to a man in exchange for crack cocaine. McDonald was the EBT coordinator and a clerical supervisor at Lehigh County’s welfare office in Allentown. Her job put her in charge of keeping the cards secure.

The case began when a card mailed to a food benefits recipient never arrived, yet someone had already used it four times. Investigators allege McDonald activated that card by phone with the recipient’s date of birth and the last four digits of the person’s Social Security number. Her position gave her access to recipients’ personal details. Prosecutors also traced activity on other EBT accounts to a phone number she used.

Surveillance video allegedly shows McDonald taking out $20 in cash with the card and making purchases at a grocery store and a convenience store. A man whose name was withheld told investigators that McDonald regularly gave him EBT cards, along with their PINs, in return for crack cocaine. He believed she obtained them through her job, investigators stated.

EBT cards carry food benefits

EBT stands for Electronic Benefits Transfer, the system used to deliver Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. A guide on using the cards explains that an EBT card works like a prepaid debit card, with benefits loaded onto it automatically each month. Shoppers swipe the card at checkout and enter a PIN to pay for eligible food, such as produce, meat, dairy and bread. The card cannot be used for alcohol, tobacco, vitamins, pet food or hot prepared meals.

The PIN helps keep each card’s benefits secure, and recipients are advised not to share it with anyone outside their household. The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has since issued new cards to the affected households. It also suspended McDonald and cut off her access to its systems. Losing essentials to theft can leave families scrambling, as it did when a sick boy’s seizure medication was stolen at the State Fair of Texas.

McDonald faces six felony counts: theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, receiving stolen property, access device fraud and two counts of criminal conspiracy. Court records list each count as a third-degree felony. Pennsylvania’s access device fraud law covers cards, PINs and account numbers that can be used to obtain money, goods or services. Using such a device without the owner’s permission is a third-degree felony when the value reaches $500 or more.

A third-degree felony in Pennsylvania carries up to seven years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000. The complaint in the case went before Magisterial District Judge Michael D’Amore, and McDonald was in custody awaiting arraignment. Court records list the county public defender as her attorney. She is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.