A former employee of the Madera County welfare benefits department has found herself on the wrong side of the law. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has confirmed that Leticia Mariscal, a 55-year-old former benefits eligibility worker from Madera, was arrested on charges related to the theft of more than $40,000 in CalFresh benefits. This program, long known as the food stamp program, exists to provide financial assistance for purchasing food to those in California who qualify.
The allegations, as per court documents, state that between December 2020 and April 2025, Mariscal tapped into county databases, using her job to access and expropriate personal information from individuals who were either elderly or deceased. She is accused of covertly approving these individuals for CalFresh benefits, generating EBT cards in their names, and then using those cards to spend the benefits for her own personal gain. It was revealed that the scheme involved the identities of over 15 people, leading to the substantial financial loss for the benefits system. Mariscal’s activities apparently went unnoticed until earlier this year which led to her being placed on leave, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
An investigation spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, assisted by the Madera County District Attorney’s Office, unearthed the multiyear fraud. The ensuing case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. As the legal proceedings move forward, Mariscal could face up to a decade in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted on the charges of stealing the CalFresh benefits. An additional two years could be added to her sentence for misusing identities to perpetrate the crime…