The Governor’s Office has announced the arrest of Mychelle Lay, a Las Vegas woman accused of “theft of personal identifying information and trafficking of… SNAP benefits.”
Caseworkers with the Nevada Division of Social Services (DSS) identified many suspicious situations and reported them to the Nevada Attorney General’s Office. Officials said it was at this point that they discovered Nevada State Police (NSP) were also investigating these operations.
“One of our caseworkers first identified suspicious activity after noticing multiple benefit applications tied to the same address. Most of the applications were submitted online and were processed in accordance with federal eligibility guidelines. As fraud tactics evolve, DSS continues to evaluate additional technology tools to strengthen fraud detection and protect the integrity of these programs.” — Robert Thompson, Nevada DSS administrator
In June 2025, NSP officers from the Parole and Probation Division conducted a home visit on Lay, a probationer. They detected proof of fraudulent activities at that time.
During their investigation, NSP discovered that Lay had established a bogus firm in December 2024, which was certified for SNAP/EBT transactions and commenced operations in January 2025.
Financial records show that this scheme processed hundreds of thousands of dollars between January and September 2025. The exact number of individual profiles associated with the “business” is yet unknown.
“While it is concerning to see this level of criminal sophistication, I applaud our state agencies for identifying this potential fraud, launching an investigation, and coordinating with law enforcement and the affected federal agencies. We do not tolerate any level of theft of taxpayer dollars and will continue to work with law enforcement as the investigation proceeds.” — Governor Joe Lombardo
In addition to SNAP fraud, NSP’s investigation turned out “a potential fraud connected to Medicaid enrollment.” Officials are trying to learn more about this action.
The Nevada DSS (administrators of SNAP benefits and processors of Medicaid eligibility) stated that they are cooperating with law enforcement’s inquiry. The Office of the Inspector General and their Social Security Administration department, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General are all involved in this investigation.
“Fraud of this nature is egregious and diverts critical resources from those who need them the most, and puts responsible recipients of public benefits, like Medicaid and SNAP, at risk. This case of fraud highlights the important need for further modernization of Nevada’s systems and technologies. Many of these efforts are already underway at the Nevada Health Authority in partnership with the Nevada Department of Human Services.” — Ann Jensen, Nevada Medicaid administrator
According to the report, Lay was booked into the Clark County Jail on the following counts:
- 1 count of theft over $100,000
- 1 count of fraudulent acts — public assistance
- 1 count of multiple fraudulent transactions through an enterprise or occupation
- 11 counts of obtaining or using the ID of another
Lay was under supervision at the time NSP made their home contact for possessing a restricted substance and acquiring and utilizing another person’s personal identification information.
The probe is still ongoing. If you feel you have been a victim of identity theft, please contact the Division of Social Services by visiting a local office, emailing [email protected], or calling 702-486-1646 (Southern Nevada) or 775-684-7200 (Northern Nevada).
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