BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Melissa Araujo, 46, from Chalmette, Louisiana, has been arrested and booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on charges of government benefits fraud, according to the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office.
The arrest follows an investigation by the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation that began on September 23, 2024. A complaint, filed anonymously on February 19, 2024, accused Araujo of misrepresenting her income to qualify for Medicaid benefits.
Authorities uncovered that Araujo received $55,024.90 in Medicaid benefits from the Louisiana Department of Health and Managed Care Organizations. Additionally, investigators found that she had 13 businesses registered under her name with the Louisiana Secretary of State and over 1,000 deposits totaling $3.19 million between August 2020 and September 2022.
Suspicious discrepancies between Araujo’s financial declarations to the health department and her social media posts regarding her unemployment status raised questions during the investigation. Furthermore, Araujo’s claims were found to conflict with evidence that suggested financial stability.
In 2022, Araujo acquired three properties valued at $785,000, despite declaring an income below the threshold required for Medicaid eligibility. This inconsistency further fueled concerns about her compliance with Medicaid regulations.
The investigation is ongoing, and the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office is continuing to examine Araujo’s financial activities.
