Investigators say 40-year-old Melinda Sue Sauceda collected Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid benefits for her children.
CHINA GROVE, Texas — The city secretary of China Grove has been arrested and accused of defrauding state assistance programs, according to an arrest affidavit.
Investigators say 40-year-old Melinda Sue Sauceda collected Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid benefits for her children beginning in late 2023, totaling an estimated $22,000.
According to court records, Sauceda submitted five online applications that included fictitious pay stubs while claiming she was unemployed, despite working for the city.
Officials obtained pay stubs from the City of China Grove and determined the wages did not match those submitted in the applications, records show.
The affidavit states that co-workers told investigators Sauceda discussed creating fraudulent documents to obtain benefits. Those documents were allegedly created using a city-owned computer and a QuickBooks account.
Sauceda eventually admitted to investigators that she lied about various information including her employment status, the affidavit says.
When Sauceda was asked if she knew she was doing something illegal, she replied, “Yes, It’s government money,” according to the arrest affidavit.
On Tuesday, Sauceda was charged with tampering with government records, forgery involving a government instrument valued between $2,500 and $30,000 and theft of property valued between $2,500 and $30,000. Her bond totals $15,000.
According to jail records, she has been released on bond.