A Lenoir County Social Services Employee Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing Over $100k from SNAP Benefits

WILMINGTON, N.C. — A federal judge sentenced Deshaune White, a Wayne County man, to six months in federal prison and six months of home confinement, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a scheme to defraud more than $100,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. SNAP is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and managed in North Carolina by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services and county departments of social services.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars.  Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

“We are proud to prosecute this case as a part of the President’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. This office will continue to hold accountable anyone who defrauds any of our taxpayer funded programs. This SNAP benefits fraudster is now a felon and will have to pay back his ill-gotten gains. Hopefully, he has learned the lesson – Cheaters. Never. Win.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.

“It is an unconscionable betrayal of the public trust for a county employee responsible for administering federal food assistance to needy North Carolinian families to exploit his privileged access to recipient information to steal from those in need for his personal gain. USDA OIG is committed to working with the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud under VP Vance’s leadership to hold everyone who defrauds American taxpayers and exploits the vulnerable to account.  OIG will relentlessly pursue insider threats who try to abuse their position for profit.” – Inspector General John Walk.

White, using his position and privileges as a Lenoir County Social Services case worker, unlawfully accessed the SNAP accounts of qualified individuals and converted $102,733.80 in government funds for his own personal benefit and use.   

Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II sentenced the defendant. The USDA-OIG and the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:25-CR-48-M.