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    State Inspector General and Lancaster County District Attorney Charge Former PA DHS Employee in EBT Card Theft Scheme

    Eboni Royster charged with stealing EBT cards belonging to vulnerable benefits recipients and selling them to others; Justin Brown charged as co-conspirator.

    These charges represent the latest actions the Shapiro Administration has taken to fight public assistance fraud, root out waste, fraud, and abuse, and ensure taxpayer money is used for its intended purpose across the Commonwealth.

    April 28, 2026

    Harrisburg, PA – The Office of State Inspector General (OSIG) and the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office announced charges today against Eboni Navae Royster, a former Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (PA DHS) worker, and her coconspirator, Justin Lamar Brown, for stealing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits from vulnerable PA DHS clients and selling or distributing them to unauthorized individuals for personal profit. Others are also charged with using EBT cards obtained with this stolen information.

    Royster, who was employed at the Lancaster County Assistance Office (CAO), is charged with committing these crimes by using her access to the PA DHS Client Information System to obtain personal and private information. This information included such things as names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers. The investigation shows that this information was then used to call the PA DHS Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Hotline and change EBT cards’ PIN numbers. Once this occurred, six victims’ EBT cards were used to complete transactions totaling $6,570.25 at retail food stores across Lancaster and York Counties by individuals who had no authorization to use them.

    These charges represent the latest actions the Shapiro Administration has taken to fight public assistance fraud, root out waste, fraud, and abuse, and ensure taxpayer money is used for its intended purpose across the Commonwealth. Since the beginning of the Shapiro Administration, OSIG has investigated more than 62,000 applications for public assistance fraud — and in 2025 alone, after investigating nearly 20,000 applications, it saved taxpayers over $61 million. This work stops fraud from happening before payments are distributed to people who don’t qualify for them.

    “This case cuts to the heart of what OSIG exists to do,” said State Inspector General Michelle A. Henry. “Eboni Royster was a public employee entrusted with access to some of the most sensitive information PA DHS clients have, and instead of using that access to help struggling families, she stole from them and sold their benefits for personal gain. OSIG will seek to pursue fraud wherever it hides, including inside government itself. We are grateful for the collaboration with our law enforcement partners at the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office. Those who betray the public trust will be held accountable.”

    PA DHS referred this matter to OSIG after their own Lancaster CAO identified that EBT cards issued to PA DHS clients had been activated and used before they could have been delivered to their intended recipients by regular mail. The cards had been approved for mailing to individuals receiving SNAP and TANF benefits, including clients with minor children in their households.

    “Program integrity and preventing fraud and illegal use of public programs is core to our work. These standards apply to everyone, especially our own staff who the public must be able to trust with the sensitive personal information required to determine eligibility for benefits,” said PA DHS Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh. “I am grateful to the PA DHS staff who made this referral to the Office of the State Inspector General in order to stop this egregious break of public trust. The Department of Human Services is proud to partner with OSIG to ensure that every dollar reaches the Pennsylvanians it was intended to help. We are grateful for the coordinated work that brought these charges forward and will not tolerate abuse of the public trust.”

    The investigation was a joint effort between OSIG and the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office, made possible through PA DHS’s internal oversight process, which flagged anomalies in EBT card activation and referred the matter for investigation. Processing work is monitored by management for quality, accuracy, and to ensure program integrity is upheld by staff as well as benefits recipients.

    “This case represents a serious breach of public trust by someone whose job was to help benefits clients, not exploit them,” said Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams.

    Royster is charged with multiple felonies, including theft by unlawful taking, criminal conspiracy to commit access device fraud, and criminal use of a communication facility. Brown is also charged with felonies, including criminal conspiracy to commit access device fraud and criminal use of a communication facility.

    All persons charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The investigation is ongoing.

    Anonymously report suspected assistance fraud on the OSIG website or call the Tipline: 1-800-932-0582.