Prosecutors say a Pennsylvania welfare office worker whose job was to keep food-aid cards safe used 48 of them herself and stole more than $20,000 meant for local families.
Story Highlights
- Sheila McDonald, 46, the EBT coordinator at the Lehigh County Assistance Office, is accused of activating 48 benefit cards that belonged to local families.
- Investigators say the cards were used more than 270 times, for a total of $20,558.61.
- A man told investigators she gave him cards and PINs instead of cash to buy crack cocaine.
- The state suspended her, cut off her system access and sent new cards to the families affected.
Prosecutors Detail Alleged Insider Theft and Drug Trades
Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan and Pennsylvania State Inspector General Michelle A. Henry announced on Monday, October 19, that McDonald faces felony charges for taking food benefits that were meant for families in need. Officials say she used her job to get into the cards and the private details needed to turn them on. EBT, short for Electronic Benefit Transfer, is the debit-style card that pays food-stamp benefits. Those benefits come from SNAP, the federal food-stamp program.
The Lehigh County Assistance Office is the local branch of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, where families apply for help with food and other basic needs. McDonald began working there in January 2024. As the office’s EBT coordinator, she was in charge of securing cards and mailing them to families. That job gave her access to each family’s birth dates and Social Security numbers. Investigators say she used those details to activate cards that never reached the people they were meant for.
Role, Access and the Charges Filed
McDonald faces felony counts of theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, access device fraud, receiving stolen property, and two counts of criminal conspiracy. Access device fraud means using a card, account number or code that is not yours to get money or goods. She was taken into custody but had not been arraigned, which is the first court hearing where charges are read, when the charges were announced. No response from McDonald has been reported. She is accused, not convicted.
The Department of Human Services suspended McDonald, removed her access to all of its systems and issued replacement cards to the households that were affected. Those steps were meant to stop any further losses and get food money back into the hands of the families it belongs to.
How One Missing Card Opened the Case
The case began in November 2025, when the county office told the state inspector general that a card it had mailed never reached the family it was meant for. Even so, the card had been used four times. Investigators say McDonald turned that card on by phone on Nov. 7, 2025, using the family’s birth date and the last four digits of a Social Security number. Surveillance video from Nov. 19, 2025, shows her taking out $20 in cash and buying items at a convenience store and a grocery store, according to investigators.
The phone number used to activate that card was linked to McDonald. Investigators say the same number was used to activate or check balances on other EBT cards. A man later told investigators that McDonald often gave him EBT cards instead of cash to buy crack cocaine. He said she handed over the PIN, the secret code that unlocks the card, with each one, and he believed she got the cards from her job.
What the Charges Mean for Families and Taxpayers
Food aid is meant for families who are struggling to put meals on the table. When a card is stolen before it arrives, a family that is counting on it may go without until the problem is found. In this case, the theft came from inside the very office that was supposed to protect those cards, according to prosecutors.
Taxpayers pay for these benefits, and the families who rely on them deserve honest service. Officials say the state moved to cut off access, replace the stolen cards and work with prosecutors. The court will decide whether McDonald is guilty. The case shows why card handling, activations and staff access inside benefit offices need close checks.
Sources:
wfmz.com, lehighdaily.com, lehighvalleylive.com