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A Michigan mother is facing a possible 10-year prison sentence after allegedly using her food stamp benefits to buy ingredients for baked goods that she later sold to support her family, per Madamenoire.
According to court documents, Talia C. Teneyuque, 32, used her Bridge Card, Michigan’s version of the EBT food assistance program, to purchase food items she used to bake and sell treats through Facebook from January 2022 to September 2023. The government claims these actions violate the Food Stamp Act of 1977, which prohibits the use of food stamps for business or resale purposes. Authorities say Teneyuque made several thousand dollars from the sales.
Teneyuque was charged with one count of food stamp fraud involving over $1,000, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. She was arrested in August but later released on a personal bond.
Teneyuque's case has sparked outrage online as social media users condemn the felony charge as excessive punishment.
“She bought food for her kids. Baked pastries for her kids and sold some. Then started doing it for extra money to hopefully get off of social service,” one user wrote. “A jealous person called and reported her. She needs a good attorney.”
“God forbid the poor try to rise above poverty," another person said.
“Proof they love criminalizing Black bodies,” a third user wrote. “Just cut her benefits if it’s such a problem, then.”
“So much for encouraging people to become self-sufficient,” another commented. “She wasn’t stealing or hurting anyone — she was trying to make ends meet.”
Teneyuque’s case will now proceed to Saginaw County Circuit Court, where her legal team is set to present her defense. At a preliminary hearing, Judge Terry Clark agreed to delay proceedings after her lead attorney was unavailable due to a scheduling conflict.
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