Black woman in Michigan faces 10 years in prison for selling baked goods made with food stamps

[littlemissmartypants]

Black woman in Michigan faces 10 years in prison for selling baked goods made with food stamps [VIDEO]
Story by Kevin Bell • 1w

A 32-year-old Michigan woman, Talia C. Teneyuque, is facing felony charges after allegedly using her food stamp benefits to buy ingredients for baked goods that she later sold on social media. Prosecutors say that between January 2022 and September 2023, she purchased groceries using her EBT Bridge Card and turned those items into baked treats. Therefore, reselling them for profit — a violation of federal food stamp regulations.

Teneyuque now faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted. The story, which first surfaced through a post by @RaphouseTV, has ignited national debate about class, race, and fairness in welfare enforcement. As a result, many users are calling her prosecution “a punishment for being resourceful.”

According to prosecutors, the alleged fraud totaled over $1,000, enough to elevate the case to a felony under both Michigan law and federal SNAP guidelines. Authorities claim Teneyuque used her EBT benefits that were issued through the state’s Bridge Card program. She used them to buy groceries like flour, sugar, eggs, and butter. After that, she placed them for resale as baked goods through her online bakery page.

SNAP benefits are designed for personal consumption. So, federal statutes classify any resale of items purchased with food stamps as “trafficking.” In other words, turning EBT-funded ingredients into sellable goods is treated the same way as exchanging food stamps for cash.
Snip...
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/black-woman-in-michigan-faces-10-years-in-prison-for-selling-baked-goods-made-with-food-stamps-video/ar-AA1OGchb

So unfair!! Straight up racial profiling probably. Be careful out there DU Bakers. We're all under the regime's microscope now.

❤️ RESIST!! ✊️

[Diamond_Dog]

1. I can understand that would be against the rules

But WOW that punishment seems extremely excessive! 10 years in prison ??

[ananda]

15. OK, explain it to me.

I just don't get it.

[Trueblue Texan]

2. For pulling herself up by the bootstraps...

...but then she's black. Everyone knows black folks aren't allowed to pull themselves up. Heartbreaking.

[cloudbase]

3. The person who wrote that headline

deserves ten years in prison.

[Srkdqltr]

8. Yes absolutely.

[Wednesdays]

25. Why? Because of bad grammar?

Or because the headline is untrue? (It isn't untrue.)

So, shoot the messenger.

[elleng]

26. Untrue,

'baked goods made with food stamps' were NOT 'made with food stamps,' but rather (presumably) made with food items purchased with food stamps.

The problem was/is the reader, prosecutor must ASSUME the baked goods were made with food items purchased with food stamps.

[cloudbase]

28. Baked goods made with food stamps probably aren't very tasty,

and they're certainly not nutritious.

[jfz9580m]

4. That's idiotically disproportionate

They are just using the law as assholes would.

The only reason all the oligarchs and their sycophants are not charged is they keep destroying all regulations:

https://www.salon.com/2025/10/12/elon-musk-company-accused-of-nearly-800-environmental-violations_partner/

Elon Musk company accused of nearly 800 environmental violations
Nevada could’ve fined the company more than $3 million, but regulators are seeking a reduced penalty of $242,800

In the past, Musk has espoused paying penalties rather than waiting for approvals as a way of doing business.

​​“Environmental regulations are, in my view, largely terrible,” he said at an event with the libertarian Cato Institute last year. “You have to get permission in advance, as opposed to, say, paying a penalty if you do something wrong, which I think would be much more effective.”

Neither Musk nor Boring responded to requests for comment for this story.

Because it is privately funded and receives no federal money, the project is exempt from many exhaustive governmental vetting and environmental analysis requirements. But it is required to obtain state permits to ensure the waste does not contaminate the environment or local water sources.

That’s just one recent story that caught my eye as there too many to keep up with and one gets numb to it.

[dickthegrouch]

31. You're right! In our case the penalty is far in excess of the cost of doing it right

Such as parking meter fines, or bus ticket problems. Often 10x the price of having paid for the ticket or meter in the first place. Most corporate fines are pathetic in relation to the normal business cost. The law should be rewritten to include a sliding scale of fines to be actually punitive, but in relation to the person or entity's income. Change one word in the Constitution from "equal (protection)" to &quot equitable)" and we potentially solve lots of problems.

[jfz9580m]

42. Well, the narcotics war

In particular is an area of concern for me. It’s an area known for disproportionate penalties as is.

Thankfully I am not in the US and never will be (though I was educated over there), but this predatory “data as oil” trash is everywhere and a strain.

Lately I openly sound the alarm about the slow creep of waning democracy as a medical marijuana user and a woman who has faced sexism and sexual harassment.

I am worried about people exploiting something like that to basically force stuff one won’t put up with.

Data is not oil. And with rubbish tech ramping up and errors in policing thanks to lousy firms like ClearView or Omnialert (where human police officers don’t even come into it) I worry sometimes.

We are all shaped by our experiences. I have not faced harshness or sexual harassment from human police officers (though from a defense contractor locally and a few creepy local men in the system I have). It has been rare, but it shouldn’t happen at all.

I have already had trouble with junk tech though it is intangible enough to make it complicated to identify and its accelerated adoption worries me.

So I keep trying to figure out ways to ensure I am not harassed, exploited, ripped off or basically implicitly extorted ever again.

The police I have come across where I live have been fairly nice and matter of fact. They deal with a lot of cybercrime of the credit car fraud type. I can’t imagine that the endemic poor data hygiene in tech makes their job easier.

At the end of the day they are govt employees and I don’t buy into dogma that all police are yada yada even though I like the work of people like Alec Karakatsanis.

Tech and its parasitic ways have been my biggest enemy so far. I’d take a risk on my local police over stuff which copies anything like police reform funded by that sleazy sports billionaire Clare Wu or bogus stuff perpetuated by the always execrable MIT Media Lab’s Joy Buolamwini. This professor who was pretty cool-David Golumbia-called out stuff like that.

These guys have built a world where everything is non intuitive and a damn headache..

Accelerating Yimbyism which I detect in stuff like this also angers me:
https://xeno-canto.org/article/315

Purity my ass..when everything is being distorted and rapaciously mined with dubious scientific methods is my guess. Trust only with verification.
Why would I let people exploit my home or street while further ruining the environment and our lives?

The amount of accelerating bullshit..Accelerationism is clearly fueled by stupidity..move fast break shit..wth man? Are all the adults in society gone? Is Nist even there anymore.
Junk ai, sound pollution, bots and AI crawlers, light pollution:
https://www.salon.com/2025/04/15/take-back-the-night-establishing-a-right-to-darkness-could-save-our-night-skies/

[dickthegrouch]

43. I think this attached to the wrong thread

It makes no sense in this context.

[NewLarry]

5. Prosecutors should have to PROVE where the butter and flour came from

to secure a conviction. If they can't, she should walk.

Disclaimer - IANAL

[Farmer-Rick]

18. How can they know?

The ingredients came from food stamp purchases? Did she have no money of her own to buy food with? Did she not get food from a local food bank, church charity or a friend?

This is absolutely ridiculous. A good lawyer would have a field day with this.

So what next? Are we not allowed to use unemployment funds to start a business? Can I use my tax return for nontaxable purchases? How about if I use Social Security funds to buy a suit or pay for transportation to and from a job?

So much for capitalism. This sounds more like Communism.

[Ferrets are Cool]

6. And we have a convicted felon, pedophile, and rapists in the WH.

What a fucked up nation we live in.

[Attilatheblond]

17. A a convicted felon, pedophile, and rapist who is OUT ON BAIL after being indicted for election interfereance in GA!

I wish every news broadcaster who mentions that he is a convicted felon would add the fact that he is also out on bail for some of his other crimes.

[Turbineguy]

7. Ruin somebody's life,

get a promotion.

[CaptainTruth]

9. So, a black woman gets a little government money, adds labor & makes something...

...then sells it for a profit, & that's a crime.

Meanwhile, Tesla (& other corporations) gets hundreds of millions in government money, adds labor & makes something then sells it for a profit, & that's... capitalism?

Explain it to me like I'm five.

[Layzeebeaver]

10. No explanation as to how she was caught

nothing in the article.

Ridiculous event - So much wrong with this.

[questionseverything]

30. She was advertising on facebook

[Layzeebeaver]

32. And who caught her?

That bits not clear.

[Farmer-Rick]

36. Advertising what exactly?

Purchase my bake goods made from SNAP benefit purchased food items.... it's the best you'll ever eat.

She may have been advertising her baked goods. That doesn't mean she used SNAP to purchase the ingredients.

[questionseverything]

37. Snap, Medicaid and cash assistance have very strict rules

Even if she bought the ingredients with her own money instead of using her snap, has she been declaring the income from those sales? Probably not.

I’m someone who thinks the rules make it nearly impossible for poor people to eat and keep a roof overhead. I would never tell on anyone bending those rules but I’m kinda rolling my eyes at , breaking the law while advertising on facebook and expecting to get by with it.

[Farmer-Rick]

38. Was she advertising breaking the law????

I guess the government will have to prove if she was declaring the income or NOT. If she didn't advertise using SNAP benefits to purchase ingredients for her sale items, then the government will have to prove that too.

Food is fungible, prove that egg is a SNAP benefits egg, or did it come from a food bank, a friend, another source of income? The burden of proof is on the government. Innocent until proven guilty.

A good lawyer would chew the prosecutor up and spit him out.

[questionseverything]

39. If she's on snap how do you think she can afford a good lawyer?

Her income has to be included on her snap application…

Listen I think way more people should get free food, like the bottom 60% that don’t have a thousand dollars for an emergency

Snap is really good for the economy overall, everyone benefits from the farmer to the kid that bags your groceries including our economy because it’s such a great GDP
booster

It would be a huge waste to imprison this woman, but it wasn’t a bright scheme, a hush hush word of mouth would of worked better

[Farmer-Rick]

41. There is legal aid

And several charities that provide free legal services. She could do a go fund me page or a post on Facebook for help. (Not sure what Facebook offers because I never use them.)

Really, it seems like an easy enough case. The government is betting on her rolling over and giving up. I hope she fights it.

[nilram]

11. Jury nullification. @Michigan peeps

"Of course, Mr Lawyer, I respect the rule of law." Just not the exceedingly stupid ones.

[JohnnyRingo]

12. Although it's not hard to see why she can't do that...

..she should work on how her lawyer phrased it. Talk like Bill Gates or Bezos:
She was using her small government stipend as an investment to augment her income in the true spirit of American entrepreneurship. Nothing more deceptive than what Exxon and 3M do. Call it a subsidy.

[Emile]

13. Trump's free plane is not so free for us tax payers.

But, let's lock this poor woman up for 10 years.

[doc03]

14. Can't say she was too lazy to work. She added value to the food through her labor

isn't that what they call capitalism? With the extra cash she could buy more or better food or whatever she needs.
Meanwhile we hand out a tax cut to billionaires and give $20 billion to a dictator in Argentina.

[cstanleytech]

16. SNAP as it currently exists isn't really meant to help people but to keep them dependent and unempowered.

If it was actually meant to help it would include things like free childcare that allows people to do things like go to school or to work in order to improve their and their children's lives.

[Farmer-Rick]

20. There are other programs that provide those other benefits

SNAP is just designed for food. A hungry person needs to be fed first before any social improvement can take place. It's not meant to solve all the problems the filthy-rich have created by hoarding wealth.

And how does it keep a person dependent and unempowered to give them food? Food is a necessity for life. It should be available to everyone no matter how little money and wealth they have. You can still succeed in life if you have a free source of food. People get free water all the time. It doesn't keep them dependent or take away their empowerment.

[synni]

29. As someone who is on SNAP, I can explain

The program keeps us disempowered by prohibiting us from saving money or earning very much money. If you get a job, your benefits are slashed drastically.

For example, when I was unable to work, I was getting $300 a month in benefits. Now that I'm on disability, that amount has been slashed to only $140.

The only way I can survive on disability and SNAP is that I live in an area with a very low cost of living, and I own my own little house. If I had to pay rent, I would probably be on the street.

The welfare system is, indeed, purposely designed to keep poor people poor. The only way to get out of the trap is to obtain a very large sum of money at once, or else land a very good paying job.

[Farmer-Rick]

33. I see how it can be difficult

The program should be changed but not stopped.

[questionseverything]

40. They should be expanded and made common place, that would keep the top 1%ers from demonizing them

[idahoblue]

19. Does this"profit" include her labor

When her labor is charged, she is likely in the red. I hope she has a good lawyer.

[House of Roberts]

21. To the letter of this law I believe the goods would

have to be sold in their purchased state to be a violation. Once ‘modified’ through the process of baking, the law is too vague to be enforced.

[Farmer-Rick]

34. Exactly

Prove she didn't get the food from a food bank, bought with her own money or a friend? It's fungible.

[Bev54]

22. Can the country get any lower? I fear it can, but JFC this is getting beyond absurd.

[GreenWave]

23. How many maga take funds and use them for something else?

This is the old welfare fraud bullshit that they used for decades.

[KS Toronado]

24. No worries, dumpie loves to pardon innocent people for free.

[synni]

27. For once, it's not racial profiling...just a little-known law

Way back in the 1970s, when we were living with my aunt, the welfare office even ordered us to keep our foods on separate shelves in the refrigerator, because we were getting food assistance and she wasn't.

Also, every time you fill out an application to receive or renew your SNAP benefits, there is a very clear warning on the form, saying that your benefits cannot be shared with anyone else in any way.

This is why it's imperative to read every contract very carefully before signing it. Especially any kind of contract involving the government, because violating the terms of that contract is usually a felony.

I feel really bad for this woman, but I'm afraid she created her own problems. I get SNAP benefits, but I wouldn't even think of using them to pay for food that I cook for a guest, let alone for a business. Because, not only can you do time for violating this law, but it also disqualifies you for SNAP benefits in the future.

The downside of all these programs, whether it's SNAP, SSI, etc., is that they are designed to keep poor people poor. We are never allowed to earn very much, and trying to save or invest money is absolutely forbidden.

It sucks, I know.

[Farmer-Rick]

35. Unless she posted on line claiming she used food bought with SNAP benefits

For her business, then the government can't prove anything. Innocent until proven guilty.

Food is fungible. A SNAP purchased egg is identical to an egg purchased with your own money, money from a friend or an egg from a food bank. How are they going to prove it was SNAP benefits used for the sale items? And if she did use them, how is the government going to prove what portion of the items had the SNAP benefit purchased items and what portion didn't? I hope she fights it.