Child Care Fraud Investigation Leads to Indictment in Desoto County 

(December 30, 2025) -A Desoto County, Miss. resident was arrested by authorities on December 11, 2025, following a DECCD fraud investigation conducted by the Investigations Division of the Mississippi Department of Human Service (MDHS).

MDHS announced that Kayla Sheree Smith of Desoto County received $37,852.78 in DECCD Child Care benefits by not reporting household income accurately to MDHS. Based on the evidence obtained during the investigation, the case was referred to the Desoto County District Attorney’s office. The Desoto County District Attorney secured an indictment on December 10, 2025, and Smith was later apprehended by Desoto County officials on Thursday, December 11, 2025.

“This case highlights the effective collaboration and strong partnership between our investigations team, County offices, District Attorneys, and local law enforcement,” stated MDHS Inspector General Sandra Griffith.

Senior Agent Joshua Bankston of the MDHS Investigations Division investigated the case. The Investigations Division is a subset of the MDHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG), which was created in August 2018 and charged with detecting, deterring and preventing fraud, waste, and abuse. OIG has been responsible for millions of dollars collected from overpayments.

“This investigation demonstrates the strengthened controls we have in place to identify, investigate, and eliminate fraud in our programs,” MDHS Executive Director Robert G. “Bob” Anderson said.

An indictment is only an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Suspected fraud can be reported to MDHS online at any time by submitting the MDHS Fraud Tip Form at Report Fraud – Mississippi Department of Human Services, calling the Fraud Tip Line at 1-(800)-299-6905, or email at fraud@mdhs.ms.gov.