An employee of Lincoln’s People’s City Mission homeless shelter has been arrested for allegedly stealing Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards mailed to shelter guests and using them for groceries, according to Lincoln Police.
On Tuesday, February 4, LPD Public Information Officer Erika Thomas says they were contacted by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) about complaints from cardholders that had been staying at the People’s City Mission. They reported they did not receive their EBT cards that had been mailed to them at the mission.
Over the course of a lengthy investigation, investigators with LPD’s Technical Investigations Unit determined the EBT cards were found to be taken and compromised by 53-year-old Lee Carr, a People’s City Mission employee. Police say Carr made approximately 63 grocery trip purchases, involving at least 8 different victims cards, totaling more than $3,000 in unauthorized purchases.
Carr was arrested Thursday, April 3, for felony Public Assistance Fraud.