Kansas City woman accused of theft, wire fraud to obtain SNAP benefits
A Kansas City woman was arrested Thursday and indicted by a federal grand jury for theft of government money and wire fraud, accused of illegally obtaining government benefits, federal prosecutors said.
Viridiana Luna-Mejia, 34, is accused of making fraudulent statements to the Department of Social Services to obtain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits between 2021 and 2026, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Missouri.
Homeland Security Investigations in Kansas City executed a federal criminal search warrant and arrested Luna-Mejia for one count of theft of government money and four counts of wire fraud in connection with the alleged crimes.
News of the indictment came one day after federal authorities arrested at least six people at La Fontanella Foods, a food manufacturing facility at 1620 E. Eighth St. in Kansas City’s Historic Northeast area.
The arrests were made by law enforcement agents wearing jackets labeled HSI, or Homeland Security Investigations, a criminal investigation arm of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
A spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Saturday did not respond to questions about whether the indictment was related to the arrests at La Fontanella Foods.
Kansas City woman accused of fraud
Luna-Mejia began receiving SNAP benefits in 2021 and continued to receive benefits through 2026, according to federal prosecutors. Recipients of SNAP are subject to income restrictions and are required to report all income sources for the household to remain eligible. They must recertify for eligibility every six months.
Prosecutors say that as part of a broader employment investigation, law enforcement found Luna-Mejia’s employer had removed her from the wage and tax reporting required by Missouri law.
Luna Mejia was earning wages from that employer while receiving SNAP benefits, but did not report that income on recertifications, investigators allege. She is also accused of hiding a bank account to further conceal the income.
Investigators determined that if she had been truthful about her income, she would have been ineligible for about $40,000 in benefits she received during that time.
Under federal statutes, Luna-Mejia could face up to 20 years in federal prison without parole for the charges. Actual sentencings may vary, depending on the court’s ruling.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the case is one of a number of fraud cases being investigated under the “Task Force to Eliminate Fraud,” formed earlier this year.
This story was originally published July 11, 2026 at 1:47 PM.
