Oct. 19, 2026
— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
A Pittsburgh woman who worked in the Lehigh County Assistance Office has been charged with stealing Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards.
Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan said Sheila McDonald, 46 worked in the assistance office as a clerical supervisor. She is charged with “stealing Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards and exchanging more than $20,000 of benefits for drugs and cash or using them for purchases at area stores,” according to a statement from Holihan’s office.
She is in custody but as of 10:15 a.m. today had not yet been arraigned on the charges, which include theft, criminal conspiracy to commit theft and other crimes.
EBT cards are used to purchase groceries under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The cards are “solely intended for the recipient’s use,” Holihan’s press release says.
“In total, the investigation uncovered 48 EBT cards that had been activated by McDonald and unlawfully used more than 270 times resulting in a theft amount of $20,558.61,” the statement says.
A witness said he gave McDonald crack cocaine in exchange for EBT cards, according to the D.A.’s office.
As noted by Holihan: As in every criminal case, the fact that an arrest has occurred or a complaint has been filed are merely accusations; and the accused, Sheila McDonald, is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Here’s the statement from the district attorney:
Oct. 19, 2026
District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan and Pennsylvania State Inspector General Michelle A. Henry announce a suspended clerical supervisor at the Lehigh County Assistance Office is charged with stealing Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards and exchanging more than $20,000 of benefits for drugs and cash or using them for purchases at area stores.
Sheila McDonald, DOB 1/8/1980 of Pittsburgh, is charged with felony counts of Theft by Unlawful Taking, Theft by Deception, Access Device Fraud, Criminal Conspiracy to Commit Theft by Unlawful Taking or Disposition, Criminal Conspiracy to Commit Theft by Deception and Receiving Stolen Property.
McDonald was taken into custody, but has not yet been arraigned on the charges.
In Pennsylvania, individuals and families in need may apply to receive assistance through various public benefit programs. Those include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a program that provides funds to purchase groceries.
Those who receive SNAP assistance receive those funds through an EBT card to make food purchases. That card includes the recipient’s name and 19-digit card number and is solely intended for the recipient’s use.
A Personal Identification Number (PIN) is required to access those benefits on the EBT card. That PIN is chosen by the primary individual in the household.
The investigation began in November 2025 when the Lehigh County Assistance Office, part of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, alerted the Office of State Inspector General that an EBT card mailed from the office never reached the recipient despite four unauthorized transactions having been made.
McDonald began working at the Lehigh County Assistance Office in January 2024 and was assigned as the office’s “EBT Coordinator,” responsible for securing EBT cards created and mailed from the office. In that role, she had access to SNAP recipients’ personal information including dates of birth and Social Security numbers.
On Nov. 19, 2025, investigators conducted an interview with Rhonda Miller, the Executive Director of the Lehigh County Assistance Office located in Allentown. Miller said an EBT card was never received by the SNAP recipient, and yet four unauthorized transactions were charged to that card.
The investigation revealed that card had been activated by a PIN entered via the phone and a balance inquiry was made on Nov. 7, 2025.
A further investigation revealed that the person who accessed the data of the EBT card that was undelivered was McDonald and she used the recipient’s date of birth and last four digits of their Social Security number to activate the account.
On Nov. 19, 2025, investigators found surveillance videos tied to the four fraudulent transactions made on the EBT card. Those videos showed a person identified as McDonald using the EBT card to withdraw $20 in cash and to make purchases at a convenience store and grocery store.
The investigation revealed the undelivered EBT card had been activated through a cell phone number used by McDonald.
The investigation showed that same cell phone number used by McDonald had also been used to activate or check the balance on different EBT cards.
A man whose identity will not be released was interviewed by investigators. He said McDonald often traded EBT cards to him instead of cash to purchase crack cocaine and he believed McDonald obtained those cards from her place of employment.
He said when McDonald gave him an EBT card, she also provided him with the PIN to use the card.
In total, the investigation uncovered 48 EBT cards that had been activated by McDonald and unlawfully used more than 270 times resulting in a theft amount of $20,558.61.
To prevent further harm, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services immediately suspended McDonald and removed her access to all systems and issued replacement EBT cards for affected households.
This case was investigated by Lehigh County District Attorney Detective Robert V. Egan and Alexandria E. Nauman, a Special Agent Supervisor with the Pennsylvania Office of State Inspector General, and will be prosecuted by Chief Deputy District Attorney Ramma R. Mineo.
As in every criminal case, the fact that an arrest has occurred or a complaint has been filed are merely accusations; and the accused, Sheila McDonald, is presumed innocent until and
unless proven guilty.
