September 12, 2025
The warrant filed on June 30 charges Teneyuque with one count of food stamp fraud of $1,000 or more.
A Michigan woman accused of welfare fraud using a state Bridge Card had her hearing postponed earlier this month.
Talia C. Teneyuque’s defense attorney, Anthony S. Gonzales, requested the adjournment on Sept. 3 because her regular lawyer, Emilie K. Lyday, who had just been assigned the case, was in a trial in another courtroom.
Judge Terry L. Clark postponed the proceedings. The case will resume at a later date, according to MLive.
Prosecutors allege Teneyuque used her Bridge Card benefits, commonly known as food assistance or food stamps, to procure ingredients, which she then used to bake goods. Teneyuque then sold them for personal gain.
The operation, prosecutors said, lasted from January 2022 through September 2023. Teneyuque’s alleged misconduct was investigated by the Michigan Office of Inspector General, according to MLive.
The warrant filed on June 30 charges her with one count of food stamp fraud of $1,000 or more. If convicted, Teneyuque could face up to 10 years in prison and be fined as much as $250,000.
Authorities said they will continue gathering evidence while the court waits for Lyday to become available. Teneyuque has been released on a $50,000 bond.
Other Michigan residents have been charged with abusing food assistance benefits. In 2023, Dana Nessel, Charles Williams and Darian Palmer were charged with a multi-million-dollar food stamp theft.
According to the indictment, the three individuals traded food stamps for cash, generating a profit of $4 million. The defendants allegedly stole food stamp card information from out-of-state recipients and reproduced the cards. Then the defendants made wholesale purchases at retailers like Sam’s Club, presumably to resell.
The ring is alleged to have illegally obtained electronic benefit (EBT) card data from 8,000 cardholders, most of whom resided in California.
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