Editor: Sorry to readers who posted comments in the last couple of days, I took a break and never did see your comments until this morning. They are posted now.
For readers who knew Phil Haney, see my post at RRW today.
(On illegally trading food stamp benefits for cash) “They get food stamps, but they can’t buy a lot of things with food stamps.”
(Yahya Mohammed)
I haven’t seen a substantial food stamp fraud bust in awhile. Glad to see that the feds are still going after the ‘new American’ entrepreneurs Michael Bloomberg is always touting.
Somalis in Columbus, Ohio this time.
From NBC4:
Feds charge Columbus market owners with food stamp fraud totaling more than $10 million
COLUMBUS (WCMH) — The former owners of a Somali specialty market have been charged with food stamp fraud.
A federal grand jury has charged Hassan and Abdurahim Nuriso, former owners of Towfiq Market on Sullivant Avenue, with conspiring fraudulently to redeem more than $10 million in SNAP and WIC benefits between 2010 and 2019.
“It’s very clear in all the regulations what you can and can’t do,” said Asst. U.S. Attorney David Bosley. “You can’t give food stamps for cash, you can’t buy items that are not allowed under the food stamp program, you can’t buy things that aren’t food, and you can’t give credit.”
As part of the alleged conspiracy, the Nuriso brothers are accused of converting illegally obtained food stamp benefits, WIC coupons, and WIC electronic benefits into money, in order to use the money for other purposes.
The five-count indictment also alleges the Nuriso’s allowed SNAP and WIC beneficiaries to purchase items that were not redeemable through the food stamp or WIC programs.
This is hilarious! So the SNAP benefit card is just like a bank card?
Yahya Mohammed owns a barbershop in the same west side plaza. He says Abdurahim Noriso was well-intentioned.
“I know it’s wrong, but he’s really just helping his community out,” Mohammed said. “People are just trying to survive. They get food stamps, but they can’t buy a lot of things with food stamps.”
If you followed this case to its conclusion, I assure you the pair will get very little prison time, maybe will be ordered to pay some of the money back to the taxpayers, but will never be deported.
I’ve followed food stamp fraud stories for over ten years, first at Refugee Resettlement Watch and now here at ‘Frauds and Crooks.’ The number of busts seem to have slowed. Maybe some ‘new American’ wannabe fraudsters are getting the message. Who knows.