A Pearl River County resident has been charged with fraud following an investigation conducted by the Investigations Division of the Mississippi Department of Human Service (MDHS).
According to the MDHS, 43-year-old Chrishuana Newton entered into a plea agreement with the district attorney concerning fraud before the Pearl River County Circuit Court on March 1, 2023.
Newton received an over-issuance of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits between January 2017 to May 2022 by not reporting household composition and income accurately to the MDHS.
Now, Newton is disqualified from participating in the SNAP program for 12 consecutive months and will serve a term of three years with the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Newton will also serve one year in the Intensive Supervision Program, as well as be required to pay full restitution in the amount of $36,872.00.
“This investigation demonstrates, once again, the controls we have in place to identify, investigate, and eliminate fraud in our programs,” said MDHS Executive Director Robert G. Anderson. “This is also another great example of cooperation between our county office, investigations team, and local law enforcement. We welcome and appreciate the partnership we are developing with the District Attorney’s Office across the State of Mississippi.”
