Desha Morris, a 39-year-old resident of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for her involvement in a large-scale fraud scheme targeting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Following her guilty plea to ten counts of mail fraud and two counts of benefits fraud, Morris will also serve three years of supervised release and pay $335,589.08 in restitution.
Court documents show that between April 2020 and July 2022, Morris used falsified documents and fake identities to submit fraudulent SNAP applications. She rented multiple residences as mailing addresses for Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards and used personal information from unsuspecting individuals on rental applications. In some instances, she forged letters to establish proof of residency and impersonated applicants during phone interviews with the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA). Detailed records were kept to document interview dates and applicant information.
After obtaining EBT cards through these means, Morris either sold the SNAP benefits for cash or used them herself. The total amount obtained through this scheme was over $335,000.
Morris’s criminal history includes prior offenses such as forgery, theft, identity fraud, using stolen identities to acquire vehicles on credit, presenting false identification to law enforcement officers, and possessing counterfeit checks and fraudulent Bureau of Motor Vehicles documents.
Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana stated: “Desha Morris’s actions not only defrauded the taxpayers who fund the SNAP program but also harmed the most vulnerable members of our community by undermining the integrity of critical safety net services. Her scheme jeopardized access to food assistance for those in genuine need and exposed innocent individuals to potential long-term damage to their credit and financial security. We will continue to aggressively prosecute those who abuse public programs for personal gain.”
Felicia George, Acting Inspector in Charge at the United States Postal Inspection Service added: “Postal inspectors are committed to protecting the integrity of the mail system and holding those who abuse it accountable. I commend the dedication and collaboration of the investigators who uncovered this sophisticated scheme, and the prosecutors who helped bring this offender to justice.”
The case was investigated by several agencies including the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Social Security Administration, and Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt imposed Morris's sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith Wood and Carolyn Haney prosecuted this case.
