Mississippi Code
Miss. Code Ann. § 97-19-71 (2026)
Fraud in connection with state or federally funded assistance programs; penalty
✓ current as of July 2026
- (1) Any person who knowingly:
- (a) Fails, by false statement, misrepresentation, impersonation, or other fraudulent means, to disclose a material fact used in making a determination as to such person's qualification to receive aid or benefits or services under any state or federally funded assistance program; or
- (b) Fails to disclose a change in circumstances in order to obtain or continue to receive under any such program aid or benefits or services to which he is not entitled or in an amount larger than that to which he is entitled, or who knowingly aids and abets another person in the commission of any such act is guilty of fraud.
- (2) Any person who knowingly:
- (a) Uses, transfers, acquires, traffics, alters, forges or possesses;
- (b) Attempts to use, transfer, acquire, traffic, alter, forge or possess; or
- (c) Aids and abets another person in the use, transfer, acquisition, trafficking, alteration, forgery or possession of a food stamp, a food stamp identification card, an electronic benefits transfer card or the benefits accessed by such card, an authorization for the purchase of food stamps, a certificate of eligibility for medical services, or a Medicaid identification card, for profit or in any manner not authorized by law or regulations issued by the agency responsible for the administration of the state or federally funded program is guilty of fraud.
- (3) Any person who knowingly:
- (a) Exchanges food purchased or obtained with; or
- (b) Attempts to exchange food purchased or obtained with benefits or an electronic benefits transfer card under the federal Food and Nutrition Program for cash or anything of value other than food, is guilty of fraud.
- (4) Any person having duties in the administration of a state or federally funded assistance program who fraudulently misappropriates, attempts to misappropriate, or aids and abets in the misappropriation of, a food stamp, an authorization for food stamps, a food stamp identification card, an electronic benefits transfer card, the benefits accessible by such card, a certificate of eligibility for prescribed medicine, a Medicaid identification card, or assistance from any other state or federally funded program with which he has been entrusted or of which he has gained possession by virtue of his position, or who knowingly fails to disclose any such fraudulent activity, is guilty of fraud.
- (5) Any person who:
- (a) Knowingly files, attempts to file, or aids and abets in the filing of, a claim for services to a recipient of benefits under any state or federally funded assistance program for services which were not rendered; knowingly files a false claim for nonauthorized items or services under such a program; or knowingly bills the recipient of benefits under such a program, or his family, for an amount in excess of that provided for by law or regulations; or
- (b) In any way knowingly receives, attempts to receive, or aids and abets in the receipt of unauthorized payment as provided herein is guilty of fraud.
- (6) Any person who knowingly signs, or aids and abets any person to sign, a false application for the replacement of benefits or aid to which that person is entitled claiming that person's benefits or aid was not received, is guilty of fraud.
- (7) Any person convicted of the crime of fraud under this section shall be:
- (a) Punished by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for a term not exceeding three (3) years, and fined not less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) nor more than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00); or
- (b) Punished by imprisonment in the county jail for a term not exceeding one (1) year, and fined not less than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) nor more than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00); and
- (c) Ordered to make full restitution of the money or services or the value of those services unlawfully received; and
- (d) Where the legislation creating a program allows, suspended from participation in the program for the length of time allowed by the legislation creating the program.
- (8) This section shall not prohibit prosecution under any other criminal statute of this state or the United States.
Laws, 1981, ch. 530, § 1; Laws, 2008, ch. 342, § 1, eff. 7/1/2008.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 5
cases, 1985–2009 · leading case: McCullum v. State, 487 So. 2d 1335 (Miss. 1986).
McCullum v. State, 487 So. 2d 1335 (Miss. 1986). “Miss. Code Ann. § 97-19-71 (Supp. 1985). The indictment further charged that McCullum was a recidivist within the meaning of Miss.”
Edwards v. State, 469 So. 2d 68 (Miss. 1985). “[1] In any event, on May 2, 1983, the Grand Jury of Leake County, Mississippi, returned an indictment wherein Edwards was charged with food stamp fraud in violation of Miss. Code Ann. § 97-19-71 (1)(b) (Supp. 1982).”
Brooks v. State, 18 So. 3d 833 (Miss. 2009). “at 1337 ; Miss.Code Ann. § 97-19-71 (Rev.2008). Specifically, that statute provides that, in addition to actually ac *839 quiring a food stamp by fraud, a person is guilty of welfare fraud for attempting through fraud to acquire a food stamp.”
Brooks v. State, 18 So. 3d 859 (Miss. Ct. App. 2008). “]" Attempts are also a part of the principal offenses of welfare fraud as defined in Sections 97-19-71(2)(b), (3), and (4)(a).”
David Brooks v. State of Mississippi (Miss. 2006). “1986), the defendant was tried and convicted of welfare fraud for attempting to fraudulently receive an unauthorized payment of food stamps,” under Mississippi Code Section 97-19-71. See id. at 1337 ; Miss.”
— Miss. Code Ann. § 97-19-71(2)(b) — 2 cases
Brooks v. State, 18 So. 3d 859 (Miss. Ct. App. 2008). “]" Attempts are also a part of the principal offenses of welfare fraud as defined in Sections 97-19-71(2)(b), (3), and (4)(a).”
McCullum v. State, 487 So. 2d 1335 (Miss. 1986). “Miss. Code Ann. § 97-19-71 (Supp. 1985). The indictment further charged that McCullum was a recidivist within the meaning of Miss.”
— Miss. Code Ann. § 97-19-71(4)(b) — 2 cases
McCullum v. State, 487 So. 2d 1335 (Miss. 1986). “Miss. Code Ann. § 97-19-71 (Supp. 1985). The indictment further charged that McCullum was a recidivist within the meaning of Miss.”
Brooks v. State, 18 So. 3d 859 (Miss. Ct. App. 2008). “]" Attempts are also a part of the principal offenses of welfare fraud as defined in Sections 97-19-71(2)(b), (3), and (4)(a).”
— Miss. Code Ann. § 97-19-71(5) — 1 case
McCullum v. State, 487 So. 2d 1335 (Miss. 1986). “Miss. Code Ann. § 97-19-71 (Supp. 1985). The indictment further charged that McCullum was a recidivist within the meaning of Miss.”
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