Alma Café Chef/Owner Arrested For Medicare Fraud

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.