What to know about "JUSTICE JUSTICE", the fraud case of the food stamp in Milwaukee

Katrina Weems, Milwaukee woman who acknowledged in an episode of TV show “JUSTICE JUSTICE” that sold benefits from Wisconsin Foodshare, received ordered to pay the refund to the state.

The case has drawn a lot of attention from 2023, when Weems and another woman, Java’la Elam, were accused after talking public about how they bought or sold dietary stamps on “Justice” a year before. During the television show, Judy Sheindlin, former judge of the family court in Manhattan, chairs a TV court and arbitrates disputes. Earlier, Sheindlin played in the “Judge Judy” day show.

Weems now has to pay over $ 1,500 to the Wisconsin Health Department, as a condition of its probation in a arrangement that was reached on Tuesday, the judicial documents online.

Here is a chronology of the whole case with links to the coverage of the Sentinel Journal:

Weems and Elam accused in “JUSTICE” STAMPS FOOD fraud case fraud

In August 2023, Weems was accused of five crimes and four crimes, including money laundering and unauthorized use of food stamps. Elaam was accused in the same case with a number of illegally treating dietary stamps.

In their episode of “Justice Justice”, Weems and Elaam sought to resolve a dispute for a used car. But they spent much of the episode discussing the sale and purchase of dietary stamps, according to a transcription of the show cited in the criminal complaint filed at the Circuit Court in Milwaukee.

During the show, Elaam told Sheindlin that Weems was buying food stamps from Elam and others. “If you were to sell $ 100 in stamps, it will give me $ 50,” Elam told the judge.

Weems told the judge that he uses stamps to buy food and also gives the stamps. She said she bought them from people who “need money”.

Weems pleaded not guilty; Elaam fails to present himself in court

In September 2023, Weems pleaded innocent for the accusations of multiple accusations of money laundering and the wrong use of foodshare benefits.

Prosecutors claimed that Weems funded the purchase of other foodshare and washed them using EBT cards for itself. During a preliminary hearing at the Circuit Court of Milwaukee County, Judge Brittney C. Grayson found that there is a probable cause to link the case.

Elaam failed to present himself for a date of August 25, 2023. On that day a bank mandate was issued for his arrest.

Elaam pleaded guilty; Weems’ process begins

In January 2024, Elaam pleaded guilty to the Circuit Court in Milwaukee for an informed offense of informed traffic of food stamps between 100 and 5,000 USD. She also pleaded for an accusation of infringeing crime of informed food stamps less than $ 100.

In the court, the deputy prosecutor of the district Nicolas J. Heitman requested the postponement for Elaam, waiting for the settlement against Weems. Elaam agreed to testify against Weems during Weems’s trial.

Elaam later received three days in prison.

Weems gets five days in prison

In November 2024, a jury condemned Weems on six of the nine charges against it. She was sentenced to three money laundering charges and three charges to use foodshare performances, but was acquitted to three other charges.

In January 2025, a judge sentenced WeEms to five days of imprisonment.

Deputy District Lawyer, Nicolas J. Heitman, claimed during a conviction hearing that Weems took advantage of some of the poorest and most vulnerable residents in Milwauke, to enrich themselves by selling benefit books.

Weems denied the claims and said they were helping with desperate people who needed it or otherwise they could not help themselves.

The judge of the Circuit Court in Milwaukee County, Jorge Fragoso, ordered Weems behind the bars, but remained the sentence and placed it at 12 months of evidence.

Weems order to pay the refund

In March 2025, Weems was ordered to pay $ 1,533.84 at the Wisconsin Health Department, as a condition of his probation in a arrangement on March 4, shows the records of online courts.

The Sentinel reporter, Carey Spivak, contributed to this report.