A Michigan woman is facing a felony charge after allegedly using her food stamp card to purchase ingredients for baked goods, then selling the goods to generate a profit.
Authorities charged 32-year-old Talia C. Teneyuque of Saginaw, Michigan, with one count of food stamp fraud of $1,000 or more.
According to MLive.com, prosecutors say that Teneyque used Facebook to market and sell baked goods from January 2022 to September 2023.
During that time, she allegedly bought baking supplies with her Bridge Card, which is administered through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ supplemental food program.
Authorities issued a warrant for Teneyque’s arrest on June 30. She was taken into custody on Aug. 4 and bonded out of jail the same day.
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At her arraignment on Aug. 13, a judge freed Teneyuque on a $50,000 personal recognizance bond.
If convicted, she could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Teneyque’s story went viral online, drawing a fiery debate about the legitimacy of her business. Some people suggested that the courts consider an alternative form of punishment that would not involve jail time.
“So she’s using the benefits to fund her business, which will allow her to gain income so she can come off the benefits. That’s a problem?” one Instagram user asked.
“Why not make her pay it back and call it square instead of giving her over to the prison institution?” another person added.
“Let her repay with her profits, then move on with her life. 10 years in insane,” another comment read.
Others wondered how authorities found out about Teneyque’s food stamp purchases.
“Someone in her circle told on her! SMH,” one person wrote on Instagram.
“I don’t condone illegal activity. Someone told on her because the govt doesn’t know what she buys from the store. She had to tell someone or they saw she was using her benefits to buy baking supplies,” another person commented.
