Four South Florida men are facing federal charges after the US Department of Justice launched what it calls a broad investigation into alleged SNAP fraud.
Officials said the inquiry is part of a bigger national assault on fraud involving public assistance programs.
According to prosecutors, a federal grand jury accused four men for their roles in a years-long, $19 million SNAP fraud scam that went from 2019 to May of this year.
According to the Department of Justice, the accused, ages 23 to 63, plotted to traffic SNAP benefits through authorized establishments in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
Investigators say the stores were in Lauderhill, Hollywood, and Miami. All of the businesses appear to have closed.
Authorities allege that the fraud operated by trading SNAP benefits for cash. Prosecutors claim that businesses would charge a customer’s Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card more than the item’s sticker price, then refund only a portion of that amount in cash.
According to court records, in one transaction, an employee exchanged $100 in cash for $199 in EBT payments. Another example was exchanging $128 in cash for $238 in benefits.
According to federal officials, the alleged conspiracy involved roughly $20 million in fraudulent EBT transactions at a Miami quick-stop convenience shop.
The Justice Department also stated that two of the suspected co-conspirators are foreign nationals, with one facing a final order of removal from the United States.
As of Thursday, three of the four accused had been apprehended. Officials said the most recent arrest took place four days ago, when one of the suspects arrived in the United States on a flight from Jordan.
According to the Department of Justice, the lawsuit is part of a historic effort in Florida to combat fraud involving SNAP, unemployment assistance, and other taxpayer-funded programs.
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