Madera benefits worker sentenced for stealing identities, aid from low-income people
A former social services employee has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to stealing identities to take CalFresh benefits for herself.
Leticia Mariscal, 55, of Madera was sentenced to two years in prison on Monday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California.
Prosecutors say Mariscal used county databases between July 2022 and June 2025 to seek out people who were either elderly, undocumented or deceased. She would then approve them for benefits and create EBT cards in their name, which she and her family members would then use.
CalFresh, formerly known as food stamps, is a federally funded assistance program that helps low-income families buy food. Costs of running the program are split among federal, state and local governments, and people access the benefits through EBT cards.
In situations involving undocumented people, prosecutors say Mariscal would intimidate them out of using the CalFresh benefits by falsely asking for immigration records.
All in all, prosecutors say Mariscal stole benefits using accounts of more than 15 people.
Mariscal pleaded guilty in January to stealing about $40,000 in government assistance.
This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 11:06 AM.
