A. Misappropriating public assistance consists of a public officer or public employee fraudulently misappropriating, attempting to misappropriate or aiding and abetting in the misappropriation of food stamp coupons, WIC checks pertaining to the special supplemental food program for women, infants and children administered by the human services department [health care authority department], food stamp or medical identification cards, public assistance benefits or funds received in exchange for food stamp coupons. B. Whoever commits misappropriating public assistance when the value of the thing misappropriated is two hundred fifty dollars ($250) or less is guilty of a petty misdemeanor. C. Whoever commits misappropriating public assistance when the value of the thing misappropriated is more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250) but not more than five hundred dollars ($500) is guilty of a misdemeanor. D. Whoever commits misappropriating public assistance when the value of the thing misappropriated is more than five hundred dollars ($500) but not more than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) is guilty of a fourth degree felony. E. Whoever commits misappropriating public assistance when the value of the thing misappropriated is more than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) but not more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) is guilty of a third degree felony. F. Whoever commits misappropriating public assistance when the value of the thing misappropriated exceeds twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) is guilty of a second degree felony. G. Whoever commits misappropriating public assistance when the item misappropriated is a food stamp or medical identification card is guilty of a fourth degree felony. History: Laws 1979, ch. 170, § 3; 1987, ch. 121, § 14; 2006, ch. 29, § 20. Bracketed material. — The bracketed material was inserted by the compiler and is not part of the law. Laws 2023, ch. 205, § 16 provided that references to the human services department shall be deemed to be references to the health care authority department. The 2006 amendment, effective July 1, 2006, increased the value of the thing misappropriated in Subsection B from $100 to $250; increased the value of the thing misappropriated in Subsection C from more than $100, but not more than $250, and to more than $250, but not more than $500; and increased the value of the thing misappropriated in Subsection D from more than $250 to more than $500. "Public employee" construed. — Defendant, a workfare participant placed with a public agency, was not a "public employee" for purposes of this section. State v. Dartez , 1998-NMCA-009, 124 N.M. 455, 952 P.2d 450, cert. denied, 124 N.M. 311, 950 P.2d 284.
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