January 27, 2025:
A former South Dakota Department of Social Services employee from Brookings has been sentenced for using a DSS grocery voucher, intended for families in need, for personal use.
28 year old Amalia Escalante Barrientos of Brookings pleaded guilty Monday (Jan. 27, 2025) in Brookings County Circuit Court to one misdemeanor count of Obtaining Money, Property or Assistance by Fraud from Social Services or Related Programs. She was then sentenced to 180 days in jail, all suspended; a $400 fine, $96.50 in court costs and $449.98 in restitution.
An investigation by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation found that Barrientos had used the voucher, which is provided by DSS to families the department works with, to purchase groceries for her own personal use. The incident occurred at a Brookings business on Oct. 11, 2024.
Barrientos is one of seven former state government employees charged with fraud related to their work in the past six months.
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley says this is another example of an individual “using their power to abuse their position for personal gain, hurting those in need and the reputation of hard-working state employees. The Attorney General’s Office will continue to investigate and prosecute cases to regain the public’s trust in state government.”
The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation investigated the case and the Attorney General’s Office prosecuted the case.
January 9, 2025:
A former South Dakota Department of Social Services employee from Brookings has been charged with a misdemeanor for using a DSS grocery voucher, intended for families in need, for personal use.
28 year old Amalia Escalante Barrientos is charged with Obtaining Money, Property or Assistance by Fraud from Social Services or Related Programs. The maximum penalty is a one-year sentence in the county jail, a $2,000 fine or both.
Attorney General Marty Jackley says the state Division of Criminal Investigation looked into the situation and determined that the defendant had used the voucher to purchase groceries at a Brookings business Oct. 11, 2024. He says DSS officials are fully cooperating with the investigation.
Barrientos has not yet made her initial court appearance. The Attorney General’s Office will prosecute the case. She is presumed innocent under the U.S. Constitution.
Barientos makes the sixth state government employee charged with fraud related to their work in the past six months.
In December (Dec. 30, 2024), 64 year old Lynne Hunsley of Pierre was sentenced to probation for three years after pleading guilty to Forgery and Grand Theft by Deception. She was accused of using her position with the Department of Revenue’s Division of Motor Vehicles to falsify records to avoid paying $1200 in tax liabilities to the state.
In a related case, Danielle Degenstein, also of Pierre, was charged with Misprison of a Felony, meaning she knew a felony crime was happening, but didn’t report it to authorities (a misdemeanor that carries a maximum sentence of one year in custody, a $2,000 fine or both). This case is still pending and she is presumed innocent under the U.S. Constitution.
Also in December (Dec. 17, 2024), 55 year old Renee Strong of Springfield was charged with forging and falsifying food service inspection reports while performing inspections for the Department of Health through a contract with the Department of Public Safety. She’s charged with 13 Class 6 felony counts of Offering False or Forged Instruments for Filing or Recording in a Public Office and 13 Class 5 felony counts of Forgery. Each Class 6 felony carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison, a $4,000 fine or both. Each Class 5 felony has a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both.
In August (Aug. 16, 2024), Attorney General Marty Jackley said there would be no charges filed against Sandra O’Day of Pierre, who is now deceased. The former state Revenue Department employee was accused of making fraudulent transactions that were used to secure almost $400,000 worth of loans at banks between 2016 and 2023.
In July (July 17, 2024), 68 year old Lonna Carroll was accused of stealing an estimated $1.8 million in state and federal funds from the Child Protection Services program, while working as a state employee between 2010 and 2023. She’s charged with two felony counts of Aggravated Grand Theft.
Jackley says he intends to submit bill proposals during the 2025 legislative session that would “enhance accountability, improve transparency and better protect South Dakota taxpayers.”
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