HERNANDO, Miss. — Four DeSoto County residents have been indicted by a grand jury for allegedly defrauding the State of Mississippi of more than $96,993.40 in public assistance funds, according to District Attorney Matthew Barton.
Court records indicate the alleged fraud involved the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other state welfare programs, with offenses spanning from 2020 through 2025.
Two of the defendants, Kayla Smith and Sharita Jones, were arrested by the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office on Dec. 11.
Smith faces three felony counts totaling $37,852.78 and is accused of abusing Mississippi’s childcare payment assistance program.
Jones, a former employee of the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS), faces one count totaling $20,028. Prosecutors allege she defrauded the SNAP program by misrepresenting her income.
Two additional DeSoto County residents were also indicted Wednesday, though authorities have not released their names or the specific charges and amounts associated with those cases.
Investigators said each defendant allegedly acted independently, and there is no evidence of an organized fraud scheme linking the cases.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
