If you are a regular reader this will sound like the same old story about immigrants running a food stamp fraud scheme. It is.
From News 10 in Sacramento:
SACRAMENTO, CA – Two Stockton convenience store owners/operators charged with defrauding the government and taxpayers of $193,608 in food stamp benefits have pleaded guilty to one count of unauthorized use of food stamps.
Lauren Horwood, spokeswoman for the U.S. District Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California, says Sukhwinder Singh, 54, and Charan Singh Dhillon, 58, admitted that beginning in 2007, they began to illegally buy food stamps for cash, typically at 50 cents on the dollar.
As part of the plea deal reached with federal prosecutors, Singh and Dhillon forfeited more than $90,000 in cash and a BMW. [but they ripped off at least $193,000!—ed]
Singh owns Fast and Easy Mart, Dhillon owns Quick and Stop Mart, and they’re co-owners of Quick Stop Mart, all in Stockton. All three stores had been approved to redeem food stamps.
You know they could solve this whole problem overnight if the federal government allowed only large reputable food stores to take food stamps. No more food stamps redeemed at convenience stores and this taxpayer rip-off would end instantly.
By the way, you too can help identify food stamp scammers. If you have a convenience store nearby and notice a lot of traffic in and out of the store and especially if the shelves are understocked, those are both tip-offs that the store might be a scam. Maybe you can engage some frequent visitors to the store in conversation and get a tip that way. Then report your suspicions to your local police and they will take it from there. But, be patient, it can take 18 months or more from tip-off until arrest as the investigation requires setting up a sting and then it takes time to unfold.
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