A federal judge sentenced Deshaune White, a Wayne County man, to six years 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 $100k in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The program is managed by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, and the county Division of Social Services (DSS).
He also must pay a forfeiture money judgment of $102,733.80.
White's job was to help North Carolina residents with low incomes receive benefits, but he allegedly stole them instead.
“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.
👀Cheaters. Never. Win.
— USAO_EDNC (@USAO_EDNC) June 25, 2026
Read more at: https://t.co/KBCxymXodf pic.twitter.com/zdNBvQDF3C
7ec3b201-2c0b-4baf-b383-9abf7cf1c882 by scott.mcclallen
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.
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“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.
The USDA has helped arrest nearly 1,000 people accused of stealing from the SNAP program that helps feed about 41 million people nationwide.
🚨 TUESDAY TAKEDOWN 🚨
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) June 23, 2026
Steal from SNAP. Get caught and arrested.
8 fraudsters just learned the hard way: the @USDA_FNA is watching.
Amounts ranged from $1,000+ to a staggering $2.8 MILLION — all stolen from the program meant to help American families.
Since February 2025, we’ve… pic.twitter.com/QAwMENCl9E
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