Attorney General Mayes Announces Sentencing of Former Border Patrol Agent and Fiancée for Defrauding SNAP, WIC Programs

YUMA – Attorney General Kris Mayes announced that a Yuma County Superior Court judge on August 12, 2026, sentenced a now former U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent Saul Rivas Hau and his fiancée, Hilda Sanchez, to 36 months of supervised probation and ordered them to pay $26,424 in restitution after both pleaded guilty to class 4 felony Theft, which occurred when Hau was employed by CBP.

"Programs like SNAP and WIC exist to help Arizona families put food on the table — not to be exploited for personal gain," said Attorney General Mayes. "My office will continue working with our federal and state partners to hold accountable anyone who defrauds these important programs."

A state grand jury had indicted Hau and Sanchez on multiple charges, including conspiracy, fraudulent schemes and artifices, theft, and forgery. The indictment alleged the pair conspired to defraud the Arizona Department of Economic Security (AZDES) by unlawfully obtaining Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits between March 11, 2022, and August 30, 2025, and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits between February 13, 2023, and January 16, 2024. The total loss to the programs exceeded $25,000.

The case was investigated by the CBP Office of Professional Responsibility (CBP OPR), the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General (USDA OIG), and AZDES, with support from the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS).

Assistant Attorney General Mariana B. Sanchez prosecuted the case.