Photo: RapidEye / E+ / Getty Images
The chef and owner of Alma Café in New Orleans is in custody and accused of government benefits fraud.
Acting on a tip, the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation arrested Melissa Araujo on Monday.
Araujo reportedly understated her income to qualify for Medicaid, bilking the government out of more than $55,000 over a span of three years.
Investigators say she was earning more than six figures a year while telling the Louisiana Department of Health that she hadn't worked since 2022.
Copyright © 2025 TTWN Media Networks Inc.