KANSAS CITY, MO. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Missouri, Western), published as received.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City woman was indicted by a federal grand jury for one count of theft of government money and four counts of wire fraud related to fraudulently obtaining government benefits. This charge is one of many federal fraud cases pursued under the leadership of President Donald Trump and through the establishment of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
Viridiana Luna-Mejia, 34, made fraudulent statements and representations to the Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS) to obtain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from 2021 through 2026. The SNAP program is intended to assist low-income individuals who might otherwise experience food insecurity by providing monthly benefits to purchase approved foods and beverages. SNAP recipients are subject to income restrictions and are required to truthfully report all income sources for the household to remain eligible. Recipients must re-certify their eligibility every six months while receiving benefits.
Luna-Mejia began receiving SNAP benefits in June of 2021 and continued to receive benefits through 2026. Every year she was required to re-certify the income her household was receiving both on a written form and verified through a phone interview. The re-certifications also ask for information about resources of the household including assets and bank accounts.
As part of a broader employment investigation, it was discovered that Luna-Mejia’s employer had removed her from the wage and hour tax reporting required by the State of Missouri. Further investigation determined Luna-Mejia had been receiving wages from that employer the entire time she received SNAP but she did not report it on her recertifications. She also did not report the existence of her bank account in which she deposited her paychecks to further conceal her income. Investigators determined that had she been truthful about her income, she would have been ineligible for nearly $40,000 in benefits she received during that time.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
Under federal statutes, Luna-Mejia is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda K. Hanson. It was investigated by Department of Homeland Security Homeland Security Investigations and Missouri Department of Social Services.
National Fraud Enforcement Division
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
