angelatc
03-18-2018, 04:48 PM
https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/jacksonville/jacksonville-busts-organized-fraud-ring?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar
198 ensnared in Jacksonville food stamp fraud totaling $3.7M
Sheriff Mike Williams announced Tuesday the results of a multi-agency, undercover investigation into the exchange of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for cash and, in at least one case, cocaine.
From 2012 to 2017, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office detectives, working with federal and state agencies, documented more than 22,000 fraudulent transactions involving $3.7 million in taxpayer money.
Investigators said those with SNAP/EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) cards would give their PIN number to the buyer, and that money would then be deposited into their accounts.
Williams said, in most cases, the food-stamp recipient received 50 cents per $1 of SNAP benefit used. Each transaction was recorded.
The operation originally focused on operators of brick-and-mortar stores, but investigators learned that many of the perpetrators became mobile business -- such as meat, seafood and produce vendors -- so they could apply to the U.S Department of Agriculture to accept SNAP benefits. Williams said they sold very little merchandise, as most of their volume was exchanging SNAP benefits for cash.
https://media.news4jax.com/photo/2018/03/13/LAWAUN-WALKER%27S-PRODUCE_1520976830015_11787142_ver1.0_640_360.jpg
https://media.news4jax.com/photo/2018/03/13/MOBILE-MEATS_1520976831568_11787143_ver1.0_640_360.jpg[
https://media.news4jax.com/photo/2018/03/13/SHEONNA%27S-SEAFOOD-Graphc_1520976830000_11787141_ver1.0_640_360.jpg
https://media.news4jax.com/photo/2018/03/13/URKO-BALLERS-PRODUCE-graphi_1520976831730_11787144_ver1.0_640_360.jpg
198 ensnared in Jacksonville food stamp fraud totaling $3.7M
Sheriff Mike Williams announced Tuesday the results of a multi-agency, undercover investigation into the exchange of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for cash and, in at least one case, cocaine.
From 2012 to 2017, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office detectives, working with federal and state agencies, documented more than 22,000 fraudulent transactions involving $3.7 million in taxpayer money.
Investigators said those with SNAP/EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) cards would give their PIN number to the buyer, and that money would then be deposited into their accounts.
Williams said, in most cases, the food-stamp recipient received 50 cents per $1 of SNAP benefit used. Each transaction was recorded.
The operation originally focused on operators of brick-and-mortar stores, but investigators learned that many of the perpetrators became mobile business -- such as meat, seafood and produce vendors -- so they could apply to the U.S Department of Agriculture to accept SNAP benefits. Williams said they sold very little merchandise, as most of their volume was exchanging SNAP benefits for cash.
https://media.news4jax.com/photo/2018/03/13/LAWAUN-WALKER%27S-PRODUCE_1520976830015_11787142_ver1.0_640_360.jpg
https://media.news4jax.com/photo/2018/03/13/MOBILE-MEATS_1520976831568_11787143_ver1.0_640_360.jpg[
https://media.news4jax.com/photo/2018/03/13/SHEONNA%27S-SEAFOOD-Graphc_1520976830000_11787141_ver1.0_640_360.jpg
https://media.news4jax.com/photo/2018/03/13/URKO-BALLERS-PRODUCE-graphi_1520976831730_11787144_ver1.0_640_360.jpg