DHS Supervisor, Daughter Accused in $191K SNAP Benefits Fraud Scheme

A supervisor at the Rhode Island Department of Human Services (DHS) was arrested for allegedly committing benefits fraud, U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha announced Tuesday.

Nadine Jean Baptiste, 57, of Warwick, is accused of stealing people’s personal information to access their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and use them to buy groceries.

According to a court affidavit, Nadine and her daughter, Octavia Jean Baptiste, 27, fraudulently accessed hundreds of EBT cards, totaling more than $191,000.

Nadine Jean Baptiste and Octavia Jean Baptiste

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Nadine, who has worked for the state for more than a decade, is currently a principal clerk at the DHS office in Providence, prosecutors said. In this role, she supervises customer service assistants and has full access to EBT card printing machines.

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Cuhna’s office pointed out that some of the victims include children and individuals who were homeless or incarcerated at the time. {snip}

Nadine and Octavia are facing federal charges of aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, illegal acquisition or use of SNAP benefits, and conspiracy.

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