FROM THE MS DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES:
A Neshoba County resident charged with fraud following an investigation conducted by Agent-In-Charge Kevin Baysinger of the Investigations Division of the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) has entered a plea agreement.
MDHS announced that April Long, 44, of Neshoba County, entered a plea agreement with the District Attorney concerning fraud before the Neshoba County Circuit Court on March 4, 2024. Long received an over issuance of SNAP benefits between April 2017 to April 2022 by not accurately reporting household composition and income to MDHS. Long is disqualified from participating in the SNAP program for twelve consecutive months, ordered to serve a term of three (3) years within the Pretrial Intervention Program of the Eighth Circuit Court District, and required to pay full restitution in the amount of $46,270.00.
The Investigations Division is a subset of the MDHS Office of Inspector General (OIG), which was created in August 2018 and charged with detecting, preventing, and deterring fraud, waste, and abuse. OIG has been responsible for recovering millions of dollars from SNAP overpayments.
“This investigation demonstrates the controls we have in place to identify, investigate, and eliminate fraud in our programs,” MDHS Executive Director Robert G. “Bob” Anderson said. “This is also a great example of cooperation between our county office, investigations team, and local law enforcement.”
Suspected fraud can be reported to MDHS online at any time by submitting the MDHS Fraud Tip Form at https://www.mdhs.ms.gov/report-fraud/, calling the Fraud Tip Line at 1-(800)-299-6905, or email at [email protected].
