GRIMY TIMES EXCLUSIVE: Lashaundra Evans, a resident of Wilkinson County, Georgia, has been sentenced to twelve months and one day in prison, along with a $14,460 fine, for her role in a massive food stamp fraud scheme. The announcement was made by Michael J. Moore, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.
Evans pleaded guilty on July 29, 2013, to federal charges of one count of food stamp fraud. She was part of a conspiracy orchestrated by Elbert Eugene Shinholster, who owned and operated Shinholster’s Grocery and Meat Market in Irwinton, Georgia. Shinholster was sentenced to forty months in prison and $4,680,557.20 in restitution for his involvement.
According to court documents, Shinholster defrauded the food stamp program by having nearly 2,000 recipients provide their EBT cards and PINs. He then used these cards to obtain cash from the Food Stamp Program’s point of sale machines, keeping an additional thirty percent as profit for himself. This fraudulent activity spanned a significant portion of the food stamp program’s transactions.
Other defendants involved in the scheme have been sentenced as well, including Tracey McDowell, Kristi Northern, and Keisha Robinson. U.S. Attorney Moore expressed his disappointment at the abuse of the system intended to help those in need. ‘Ms. Evans took advantage of a worthwhile system that was set up to help people who need a hand,’ he said.
In a separate case, Alfred Boyd, owner of Northwind Mini Mart in McIntyre, Georgia, was sentenced to fifty-two months and $800,000 in restitution for his role in another food stamp fraud scheme. Eleven other defendants were also sentenced for their involvement.
Related Federal Cases
Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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