Highlights
- Saul Rivas Hau, a former U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent, and his fiancée Hilda Sanchez were sentenced to 36 months of supervised probation.
- The two were ordered to pay $26,424 in restitution for fraudulently collecting SNAP and WIC benefits totaling more than $25,000.
- The fraud ran from March 2022 through August 2025, the entire period during which Hau remained employed as a CBP agent.
- Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced the sentences Thursday; a state grand jury had previously indicted both on conspiracy, fraudulent schemes, theft, and forgery charges.
A former U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent and his fiancée were sentenced Thursday in Yuma County Superior Court after pleading guilty to felony theft for defrauding two federal food assistance programs while he remained on the federal payroll.
Saul Rivas Hau and Hilda Sanchez each received 36 months of supervised probation and were ordered to pay $26,424 in restitution, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced. Prosecutors say the two conspired to fraudulently collect Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits from March 2022 through August 2025, and Women, Infants, and Children program benefits from February 2023 through January 2024. The total loss to both programs surpassed $25,000.
The crimes were committed entirely while Hau was employed as a CBP agent, according to the attorney general's office. A state grand jury had previously indicted both on charges including conspiracy, fraudulent schemes, theft, and forgery.
"Programs like SNAP and WIC exist to help Arizona families put food on the table — not to be exploited for personal gain," Mayes said in a written statement. "My office will continue working with our federal and state partners to hold accountable anyone who defrauds these important programs."
The case was reported by Arizona's Family.
Why does this case carry public-accountability weight?
Hau held a federal law enforcement position throughout the fraud period, meaning the scheme ran concurrently with his oath to enforce federal law. The attorney general's office framed the prosecution as part of a broader effort to pursue benefit fraud in partnership with federal and state agencies, signaling continued joint enforcement activity in Arizona.
No sentencing date for any remaining proceedings was disclosed in the attorney general's announcement.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- AZ Family (3TV/CBS5) retrieved 13/08/2026 16:15
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 13/08/2026 16:15. Every claim traces to a source.
