Smith County Woman Sentenced for Food Stamp Fraud Scheme

TYLER — A 42-year-old Bullard woman has been sentenced to federal prison for her role in a food stamp fraud scheme. Monica Bunch, also known as, Monica Hernandez, pleaded guilty on August 8, 2013 to conspiracy to unlawfully use, transfer, acquire, and possess SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits. She was sentenced to six months in federal prison Wednesday in Tyler by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Schneider. Bunch was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $72,846.09 to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and to forfeit the proceeds of the fraud scheme.

According to the indictment, from January 2007 through March 31, 2012, Bunch, a clerk with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) in Jacksonville, and her co-conspirators devised and carried out a scheme to unlawfully obtain SNAP benefits. In her position as clerk at HHSC, Bunch identified dormant SNAP accounts belonging to individuals who did not live in or around Jacksonville or who had moved away from the Jacksonville area.

Using the dormant accounts, Bunch created replacement Lone Star cards and forged and created documents to conceal the unlawful creation of the cards. Authorities say Bunch sold the cards to the other defendants at approximately half of the card’s actual SNAP benefit value. Bunch also reportedly provided the defendants with the PIN numbers associated with the cards. The defendants allegedly used the cards to purchase food from retailers in and around the Jacksonville and the Tyler areas. On July 25, 2013, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Bunch; Ernest Grady, 47; Evelyn Whitaker, 47; Genoveve Servin, 49; Maria Silva, 50; and Maria Delrosario Padron a/k/a “Chayo”, 38, all of Jacksonville, with conspiracy to unlawfully use, transfer, acquire, and possess SNAP Benefits.