Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, an indictment was unsealed charging Dawood Kassim and Dia Alqalisi with trafficking and stealing millions of dollars in benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program. To carry out the fraud, the defendants allegedly engaged in thousands of SNAP transactions out of a bodega in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn which Kassim owned. The defendants were arrested this morning and are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Cheryl L. Pollak. One defendant charged in the indictment remains at large.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Erin Keegan, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Charmeka Parker, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region (USDA-OIG), announced the charges.
“As alleged, the defendants trafficked and stole a massive amount of SNAP benefits from thousands of victims, illegally profiting from federally funded benefits intended for those in need of nutritious meals—which is especially vital in these times of high food costs,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The arrests today should be a wakeup call to those who think government programs are a piggy bank they can pillage without fear of consequences.”
“The defendants are accused of robbing the food stamps program of millions of dollars intended to assist the well-meaning public in feeding their families. Through this Brooklyn corner store, they allegedly defrauded unsuspecting food stamp recipients in several states across the country, and to the tune of $20 million," said HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan. "I commend HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force and our law enforcement partners for their outstanding coordination in ensuring these vital benefits go to those who truly need them.”
According to the indictment and court filings, SNAP is administered by the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service and utilizes federal tax dollars to subsidize low-income households, affording such households the opportunity to achieve a more nutritious diet by increasing their food purchasing power. Individuals who receive SNAP benefits no longer redeem their benefits using paper food stamp coupons but use what is known as an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card. Using EBT cards, recipients can make authorized purchases, and the total amount of the purchase is electronically deducted from the recipient’s card balance. The same amount of the transaction is electronically transferred to the retailer’s designated bank account, using federal funds that originate from the USDA.
Click here to read more justice.gov
Photo Credit: istock-arthon-meekodong
Categories: New York, Business