A welfare supervisor in Pennsylvania is accused of trading stolen EBT cards for crack cocaine while allegedly stealing over $20,000 in food stamp benefits, as prosecutors revealed on Monday.
Sheila McDonald, 46, from Pittsburgh, held a position at the Lehigh County Assistance Office in Allentown, where she was tasked with protecting EBT cards.
Prosecutors claim she took 48 cards and conducted more than 270 unauthorized transactions, which resulted in a loss of $20,558.61 in benefits.
The investigation began last November after four unauthorized transactions on an EBT card that never reached its correct recipient were reported, highlighted by Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan and Pennsylvania State Inspector General Michelle Henry.
McDonald had been with the office since January 2024 as both a clerical supervisor and the EBT coordinator, officials mentioned.
Her role granted her access not only to the benefit cards but also to recipients’ birth dates and Social Security numbers, prosecutors reported.
On November 7, 2025, McDonald is accused of activating one of the missing cards via phone, supplying the correct birth date and the last four digits of the recipient’s Social Security number, investigators detailed.
Investigators also connected a phone number linked to McDonald with the activation of the missing card and similar activities involving other EBT accounts.
According to authorities, security footage from November 19 captured McDonald using the EBT card to withdraw $20 in cash and make purchases at a grocery store and a convenience store.
An unnamed individual told investigators that he frequently received EBT cards and their PINs from McDonald, allegedly as compensation for crack cocaine, suspecting that she had obtained the cards through her work.
To mitigate further losses, state officials replaced the EBT cards of the affected households, and McDonald was suspended and barred from accessing the Department of Human Services systems.
She faces six felony charges, including access device fraud, receiving stolen property, and two counts each of theft and conspiracy.
A criminal complaint against McDonald was filed on October 2, and a preliminary hearing date has not yet been set, as she awaits arraignment following her arrest.
