We never imagined that the very system meant to protect us would be used against us.
While our elderly parents and loved ones lived quietly in nursing homes—or after some of them had already passed away—their identities were secretly stolen and exploited by Leticia Mariscal, a trusted California welfare worker who was supposed to safeguard public assistance, not loot it. Behind a desk in Madera County, Leticia Mariscal, 55, allegedly abused her position to prey on more than 15 vulnerable people who could not defend themselves.
Using her official access to county databases, Leticia Mariscal allegedly harvested personal information belonging to elderly residents and deceased individuals. With that stolen data, she secretly approved fraudulent CalFresh applications under their names, printed EBT cards, and used those benefits for herself—shopping freely at Costco, Sam’s Club, and Vons while the real victims never saw a single dollar.
One of us finally uncovered the betrayal when a son realized his 91-year-old mother—living in a nursing home and not in need of food assistance—was somehow receiving benefits. That single discovery exposed a much larger scheme. Prosecutors say Leticia Mariscal allegedly drained nearly $3,000 using just that one elderly woman’s identity.
When confronted with security footage showing her opening accounts and spending stolen benefits, Leticia Mariscal reportedly admitted to the fraud. Yet even then, she allegedly tried to escape responsibility—attempting to blame a former boyfriend, labeling him a gang member and claiming fear in an effort to shift the blame away from herself.
Between December 2020 and April 2025, prosecutors allege that Leticia Mariscal stole more than $40,000 in public assistance funds by exploiting the identities of the elderly and the dead. For the victims and their families, this was not just fraud—it was a violation of trust, dignity, and basic human decency by someone who knew exactly how to manipulate the system from the inside.