Category Archives: Food Stamp/SNAP Fraud

Today’s “Fraud of the Day” is based on an article entitled, “Thomasville Convenience Store Manager Sentenced for Food Stamp Fraud,” published by The-Dispatch.com on April 25, 2012.

GREENSBORO | United States Attorney Ripley Rand announced Wednesday that Kongkeo Keomoungkhoun, also known as Kim Stukes, 45, was sentenced in federal court for food stamp fraud and money laundering.

United States District Judge William L. Osteen, Jr. sentenced Keomoungkhoun to 27 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice. Keomoungkhoun was also ordered to pay $1 million in restitution to U.S. Food and Nutrition Services, the agency responsible for oversight of the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps).

Today’s “Fraud of the Day” is based on an article entitled, “Seven Accused in $5M Food Stamp Fraud Case,” written by Tuquyen Mach and published by the WSAV.com on April 26, 2012.

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) –Federal officials announced that seven people, including a Savannah woman, have been charged in connection with a multi-million dollar food stamp fraud case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia said a grand jury indicted 37 year-old Litricia Allen of Savannah, plus Sabrina Sesberry, Rupert Jones, Jewell Allen, Patrina Barge, Rashella Reed and Derrick Robinson.

Today’s “Fraud of the Day” is based on an article entitled, “Michigan Lottery Winner Charged with Welfare Fraud” by Ed White of The Associated Press, April 17, 2012.

A Michigan lottery winner was charged with fraud Tuesday for collecting food stamps and public health insurance despite pocketing a $735,000 jackpot.

Amanda Clayton, 25, was silent during a brief court hearing after spending a night in jail. A not-guilty plea was entered, and her lawyer vowed to fight the charges.

Today’s “Fraud of the Day” is based on an article entitled, “Store Owner Arrested in Alleged Food Stamp Fraud,” written by the Associated Press and published by Boston.com on April 19, 2012.

BOSTON—A Quincy store owner faces criminal charges after what authorities claim was a scheme to trade food stamp benefits for cash.

Authorities arrested Pat Lu, the 48-year-old owner of Pat’s Mini Mart, on charges including larceny and fraud.

These criminals were not the first to trade EBT cards for cash and they won’t be the last. The good news is that we know how they are doing it – one transaction at a time – and agencies can leverage data and analytics to find fraud in their programs.

Today’s “Fraud of the Day” is based on an article entitled, “2 Columbia Men Sentenced in Food Stamp Fraud Case,” written by Tony Santaella of the Associated Press and published by WLTX.com on March 30, 2012.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Two Columbia men have been sentenced to prison for a $4 million food stamp fraud case involving their fruit and vegetable operation.
Thirty-eight-year-old Xavier Roedran Pinckney was sentenced to five years in prison Thursday.

Today’s “Fraud of the Day” is based on an article entitled, “2 Sentenced for Food-Stamp Fraud in White Center,” posted by Mike Lindblom and published by The Seattle Times on March 30, 2012.

Two small-business owners were sentenced to prison this week in what the U.S. Department of Justice calls a case of food-stamp trafficking in White Center.
Prosecutors said crimes like these lead to political calls to end food stamps because citizens come to associate them with fraud — hurting families who use them as intended, to put food on the table in hard times.

Today’s “Fraud of the Day” is based on an article entitled, “Business owner accused in food stamp scam indicted on 46 counts,” by Cornelius Frolik and published in the “Dayton Daily News” on March 23, 2012.

A Dayton View business owner and three of his associates have been indicted on 46 counts of federal crimes for allegedly conspiring to defraud the federal government’s food stamp program of $3.8 million and laundering money.

According an indictment unsealed Thursday, a federal grand jury on Tuesday indicted Dayton area residents Al-Idu Al-Gaheem, 62, Abdul Qadir, 63, Abdul Yamini Sr., 70, and Omar Yahya, 55, on federal charges ranging from wire fraud to money laundering to illegal structuring of transactions.

Today’s “Fraud of the Day” is based on an article entitled, “Valley Stores Caught Cheating Government Food Stamp System,” written by Joe Ducey and published by ABC15.com on February 20, 2012.

PHOENIX – Many Arizona families rely on the government food stamp program to help make ends meet.
In fact, one in six Arizonans are now getting the government assistance, including many who never thought they would need help.

Today’s “Fraud of the Day” is based on an article entitled, “Michigan cuts off food aid for $1-million lottery winner,” by Michael Muskal of the Los Angeles Times, published by the Chicago Tribune on March 8, 2012.

Beware of too much good luck, warns a classic Greek myth – a lesson that a Michigan woman who won a $1-million state lottery jackpot has learned the hard way.

Michigan’s Department of Human Services has cut off $200 a month in food aid to Amanda Clayton in the wake of media reports that she had won $1 million in the state lottery in September. To make matters worse for Clayton, who lives in Lincoln Park near Detroit, her case has been turned over to state anti-fraud officials.

Today’s “Fraud of the Day” is based on an article entitled, “Lottery winnings would impact eligibility for food stamps in Michigan under proposed legislation,” written by Melissa Anders, published by MLive.com on February 14, 2012.

LANSING – Lottery and other gambling winnings would be factored into eligibility for certain welfare assistance in Michigan under a House bill that received committee support this morning.

Last fall the Department of Human Services started an asset test that requires food stamp recipients to have no more than $5,000 in assets. The move was in response to news that a Michigan man continued to receive food assistance after winning $2 million in the “Make Me Rich!” Lottery game.