In East St. Louis, Illinois, federal authorities have charged two men who allegedly received $1.6 million in food stamp benefits - all fraudulently.The Swansea men have been charged with illegal efforts to obtain the benefits; they are also being accused of trafficking counterfeit goods and aiding in the preparation of false tax returns.According to the indictment, the men owned two Garden Grill Market stores, located in East St. Louis. It says that they conspired to illegally pay cash, about 50 cents on the dollar in exchange for benefits. The indictment says that the defendants received the $1.6 million in electronic fund transfers to bank accounts.Two other men, from Belleville and St. Louis have been charged with conspiracy to acquire the benefits. If convicted, all four defendants face up to a $250,000 fine and up to five years in federal prison.Offenses Involving Federal Food Stamp BenefitsThe United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) issues food stamp benefits in the form of paper food coupons and electronic benefit transfer (EBT) to low-income families. Food stamps can only be used to purchase food by those who have met the specific eligibility requirements, and only at stores authorized by the USDA to accept food stamp benefits.The possession or use of food stamps or an EBT card by an unauthorized person is strictly prohibited under the Food Stamp Act (7 U.S.C. 2024). One of the most common forms of food stamp fraud is the illegal buying or selling of food stamp benefits for cash, drugs, or weapons - this is known as food stamp trafficking.The Office of Inspector General (OIG) is the government agency that investigates criminal violations of the Food Stamp Act. Unlawful possession or use of food stamp benefits in an amount that exceeds $100 is a felony; less than $100 is a misdemeanor.According to the USDA, in 2012, over 100 analysts and investigators reviewed over 15,000 stores and conducted over 4,400 undercover investigations. In effect, nearly 1,400 stores were permanently disqualified for trafficking, and 342 people were convicted, many of which included multi-year prison terms for the most serious violations.If you are facing federal charges for food stamp trafficking, we urge you to contact Patel Law, P.C. As a former federal prosecutor and senior county prosecutor who has handled thousands of criminal cases, Attorney Patel is well-qualified to defend you!
