Apr 10, 2025- Four DeSoto County women were arrested Thursday morning and are being held on several counts of fraudulently obtaining Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, amounting in total to $131,000.
LaShonda Smith
The arrests, a combined effort between agents with the Mississippi Department of Human Services, the DeSoto County District Attorney’s office, and officers with the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department’s Fugitive Division, was a sweeping cooperative operation conducted under the name of “Operation SNAP Trap.”
Stephanie Wright
The four arrested, with the number of counts against them and the amount of benefits they are accused of illegally receiving are as follows:
Lashonda Smith (Olive Branch) – 5 counts, $52,053.00
The four remained in custody in the DeSoto County Adult Detention Center as of Monday evening.
At a Thursday afternoon news conference, District Attorney Matthew Barton said the operation was conducted very quickly with all four captured Thursday morning.
Syerra Lynks
“It is a testament to what we can do when multiple agencies work together,” Barton said. “We had all the paperwork done, we got it to the court, got it to law enforcement, had them served and arrested all before the grand jury took a break for lunch. This is as smooth and efficient as the government could possibly be and I’m very proud of that.”
Mississippi Department of Human Services Inspector General Sandra Griffth was part of the news conference and in her brief comments commended the hard work and dedication of the agents and officers involved.
Tiffany Harrell
“The Mississippi Department of Human Services is dedicated to eliminating, and at the very least, minimizing fraud, waste and abuse in our programs,” Griffith said. “We also look forward to future collaboration in prosecuting health care fraud fund welfare cases.”
Barton said this was essentially a food stamp fraud case where the four failed to disclose changes in circumstances, omitting income that they were receiving in order to qualify for certain government assistance and benefits.
“This was not a case where people made a mistake or accidentally filled out the wrong form or messed up their math,’ Barton said. “This was an intentional effort to defraud a government program that’s designed to help those who need it the most.”
Barton said he hoped the action alerts others who may be involved in SNAP fraud that officials “will be coming for you next,” he said. He added today’s grand jury action was what he called a “secret indictment” and the actions may date back as far as 2020 until a few months ago.
The district attorney added tips from the public were also a factor in the investigation and subsequent arrests.
The charges in the indictment are allegations only, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. All factual details are based on court documents and statements made during court proceedings.
