Ohio Somalis Charged in $10 Million Food Stamp Fraud Bust

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.”

More here.

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.

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9 thoughts on “Ohio Somalis Charged in $10 Million Food Stamp Fraud Bust

  1. The Feds should call a moratorium on any food stamps so that the fraudsters will possibly go away for awhile. This always happens when you give stuff away. Thanks Bernie – I hope you do not become President.

  2. Immigrants should be prepared to sustain themselves if they want to live in the USA. The big question I have is, how much assistance are these people getting and for how long? Ohio just approved thousands more to be brought in. We have more than enough permanent welfare frauds already.

    1. Refugees are treated like Americans and can get welfare immediately upon arrival. In some states they get more than others. All this talk about “public charge” does not apply to refugees admitted via the US Refugee Admissions Program.

  3. These people should be sent to prison, they should be forced to pay back every dollar or their fraudulent charges. They must never be allowed to have a business here in America.

  4. Google Amy Klobuchar/Minnesota Somalis to watch her celebrating with a group of Somali’s. At the end of their meeting she says she is so proud to be with them, that they are Minnesota.

  5. Stealing American taxpayer’s money is rampant among many immigrant, refugee and asylum seekers. Contact your political reps and demand that they introduce legislation to stop the theft of American taxpayer’s money.
    Sn. Cotton from Arkansaw and Sn. Perdue from Georgia have introduced legislation that would cut legal immigration by 50% within a ten year period.
    The American people do not want more immigration, but vested interest groups and Big Bussiness do so their legislation will be ignored. The only hope is that enough of us raise Hell with our Reps. Tell them you want less immigration and until they take action accordingly, there will be no more votes or dollars.

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