CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A Lewis County woman whose 3-year-old daughter has been missing for three weeks was arrested Monday and charged with selling federal food stamp benefits.
A criminal complaint filed Monday in federal court in Clarksburg said Lena Lunsford transferred a Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program card and personal identification number to someone in exchange for $50 cash on Saturday near Weston. The complaint said the person, who wasn't named, intended to use the EBT card to buy $114.82 in food.
"This is obviously ancillary to the actual missing girl case," FBI Special Agent Jeff Killeen told a news conference Monday. "It came to our attention that this was going on after the investigation started."
Lunsford, who was arrested at her home, was released on personal recognizance bond and ordered to appear at a Nov. 7 hearing in federal court in Elkins. She faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted.
Lunsford's daughter, Aliayah Lunsford, went missing Sept. 24 from her Bendale home. Lena Lunsford told police her daughter was in bed that morning at 6:30, but there's been no sign of the child since. The FBI considers the disappearance to be a crime.
A message left with Lunsford's attorney was not immediately returned. A telephone number for Lunsford was unavailable.
Aliayah is about 3 feet tall and 35 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing purple pajama bottoms and a pink sweatshirt.
