SNAP Fraud Investigation Leads to Indictment in Pearl River County

Press Release - Mississippi Department of Human Services

(Jackson, Miss.) -A Pearl River County, MS resident surrendered to authorities on August 8, 2025, following a SNAP fraud investigation conducted by the Investigations Division of the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS).

MDHS announced that Betsy Gobuzzi Johnson of Pearl River County received $22,111.00 in SNAP benefits by not reporting household income and composition accurately to MDHS.

Based on the evidence obtained during the investigation, the case was referred to the Pearl River County District Attorney's office. The Pearl River County District Attorney secured an indictment on July 31, 2025, and Johnson later turned herself in to Pearl River County officials on Friday, August 8, 2025.

"This is a great example of collaboration between our investigations team, County offices, District Attorneys, and local law enforcement," stated MDHS Inspector General Sandra Griffith.

Senior Agent Blake Edwards of the MDHS Investigations Division investigated the case. The Investigations Division is a subset of the MDHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG), which was created in August 2018 and charged with detecting, deterring and preventing fraud, waste, and abuse. OIG has been responsible for millions of dollars collected from overpayments.

"This investigation demonstrates the strengthened controls we have in place to identify, investigate, and eliminate fraud in our programs," MDHS Executive Director Robert G. "Bob" Anderson said.

An indictment is only an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Suspected fraud can be reported to MDHS online at any time by submitting the MDHS Fraud Tip Form at Report Fraud - Mississippi Department of Human Services calling the Fraud Tip Line at 1-(800)-299-6905, or email at fraud@mdhs.ms.gov.