Brickbat: Bargain Shopping

Carla Louise Collins, a Tennessee Department of Human Services employee, was arrested and charged with identity theft and fraudulent use of a credit card involving an electronic benefit transfer. After Joy Martin died from cancer in May 2026, her family noticed strange activity on her EBT card, including a PIN change and purchases, which they reported. Police reviewed surveillance video and store records that linked the transactions to Collins, who was seen manually entering the EBT card number. Under federal regulations, EBT benefits can continue after a recipient dies if agencies aren't notified.