Since RRW isn’t really about food stamp fraud (although it’s become a side interest of mine especially as it relates to immigrants as the perps), here are three quick mentions of the latest scams found in my alerts.
For my critics who say I purposefully pick out immigrant fraud cases, I’ve thrown in the rare case of the fraudster being (apparently) an American because it is such a novel (creative!) case of fraud and I wanted you to see it.
First is one of our many ‘Mohammed’ arrests and convictions and an update of the story we posted here (“big fish” indeed!).
From NBC10 Philadelphia:
Authorities say the owner of four dollar stores in northern New Jersey has admitted to a scheme in which patrons were allowed to make more than $5 million in fraudulent food stamp transactions.
Essex County prosecutors say 49-year-old Muhammed Farooq of Somerset pleaded guilty Wednesday to theft by deception and agreed to forfeit $832,830.
He faces up to seven years in state prison when he’s sentenced Jan. 6.
So, where did the rest of the $4 plus million go—out of the country?
Now to Waltham, Mass. where another man with Middle Eastern origins has been indicted.
From My Fox Boston:
BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) – The manager of a Waltham convenience store has been indicted in connection with the fraudulent use of the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), known commonly as food stamps.
Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office announced Wednesday that 30-year-old Hassan Mounajed, of Fall River, had been indicted on charges of procurement fraud, conspiracy to commit procurement fraud, larceny by false pretenses, access device fraud over $100, and conspiracy to commit access device fraud.
An American food stamp fraudster! Readers, honestly about one in ten of the cases I see in my alerts involve people with American names.
This is one—Clifford Craig Tittle.
Get your tattoo with your EBT card!
From WNCN.com:
RALEIGH, N.C. –
A Raleigh tattoo parlor is accused of taking hundreds of dollars in welfare benefits for tattoos, Raleigh Police say.
Warrants show Raleigh police learned in early 2013 that Ink Addiction Tattooz at 2012-B Poole Road was accepting Electronic Benefit Transfer cards as payment for tattoo work.
Court documents show an informant purchased tattoo work from owner Clifford Craig Tittle using two EBT cards. The informant also sold Tittle two more EBT cards.
Through further investigation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture found four instances of tattoo work being paid for using EBT cards.