Regular readers know that immigrant food stamp fraud is something we follow at RRW mostly because no one else does!
I don’t know that I’ve had a case in Pennsylvania before this one. Check it out here in the Times-Herald. One thing different about this story is the detail given of how Salim worked the scam.
NORRISTOWN — A Norristown merchant faces multiple charges for allegedly stealing federal food stamp funds, selling food stamp benefits for cash and making fraudulent transactions through the federal food stamp electronic access system called “SNAP.”
Modar Nazem Salim, 41, of the 700 block of Kohn Street was arrested June 3 at his market on Kohn Street, police said. Moe’s Market is owned by Salim and Janet Forves-Salim, according to state records. The market building was purchased by Salim for $59,900 in December 1998.
Salim was charged with fraudulent traffic in food orders; dealing in the proceeds of illegal activities; buying or exchanging federal food order coupons, stamps, authorization cards or access devices; access device fraud; corrupt organizations; theft by deception and receiving stolen property, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Federal Department of Agriculture Special Agent Charmeka Parker and Norristown Ptl. Nicholas Dumas started an investigation in early 2011 because the food stamp transaction activity at Moe’s Market exceeded the normal activity of other area markets and convenience stores, police said.
Read it all.
Congress considers cuts
Meanwhile, here is a story I’ve had kicking around for ten days about how Congress is considering cutting the behemoth program. Personally, I think the reason the program has grown so rapidly is not so much the economy but the understanding that it has become a major source for the redistribution of wealth through fraud. Convenience stores like Salim’s are distributed from coast to coast and are busy giving your tax dollars away while owners enrich themselves.
From ABC News:
ABC News’ Huma Khan reports: Congress is under pressure to cut the rapidly rising costs of the federal government’s food stamps program at a time when a record number of Americans are relying on it.
The House Appropriations Committee today will review the fiscal year 2012 appropriations bill for the Department of Agriculture that includes $71 billion for the agency’s “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.” That’s $2 billion less than what President Obama requested but a 9 percent increase from 2011, which, critics say, is too large given the sizeable budget deficit.
A record number of Americans — about 14 percent — now rely on the federal government’s food stamps program and its rapid expansion in recent years has become a politically explosive topic.
More than 44.5 million Americans received SNAP benefits in March, an 11 percent increase from one year ago and nearly 61 percent higher than the same time four years ago.
Nearly 21 million households are reliant on food stamps.
For more on food stamp fraud, just type those words into our search function—dozens and dozens of cases like Salim’s are archived at RRW.