Nationwide — Shermeca McCrary, a Social Services caseworker from Wilmington, North Carolina, has received a federal prison sentence for stealing more than $100,000 in SNAP benefits while employed at a county DSS. She pleaded guilty and got six months.
Federal prosecutors said McCrary also received three years of supervised release as part of her sentence. She was ordered to repay $102,000 tied to the stolen Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funds. She entered her guilty plea in December.
According to WLBT, investigators said the fraud happened while McCrary worked at the Johnston County Department of Social Services in North Carolina. She used her access to internal systems to reach SNAP accounts belonging to eligible recipients and take funds without permission.
Authorities said the scheme continued from January 2021 through January 2024. During that time, she repeatedly accessed government assistance records and diverted benefits for personal use.
Officials said McCrary’s position inside the agency gave her the system access needed to carry out the theft. The case involved internal misuse of DSS tools meant to manage public assistance programs.
Federal prosecutors said the case was resolved in federal court after her guilty plea. Several related North Carolina state charges were dropped once the federal sentence was issued.
McCrary is now required to serve her prison term, follow supervised release rules after her release, and fully repay the stolen SNAP funds under the court order.