Posted on 09/30/2015 10:05:08 AM PDT by MarvinStinson
Convenience store owner Vida Ofori Causey out of Worcester, Mass. was charged in federal court Monday after pleading guilty to $3.6 million worth of food stamp fraud.
According to authorities, Causey abused the program between 2010 and 2014. Food stamps, officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), is run by local and federal agencies. It is overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). She was able to scam the program by buying food stamp benefits from receipts for half the actual value.
“Causey purchased the benefits at a discounted value of approximately fifty cents for every SNAP dollar,” a press release from Department of Justice stated. “By so doing, Causey caused the USDA to electronically deposit into a bank account controlled by her the full face value of the SNAP benefits fraudulently obtained.”
As a result, recipients had cash on hand to buy restricted items. The restricted items could include alcohol, cigarettes and even drugs. The program is supposed to be used to provide food to low-come individuals and families. In total, Causey defrauded the USDA for approximately $3,638,900.
SNAP is the nation’s largest food-assistance program. According to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the program has increased from 17 million participants in 2000 to nearly 47 million in 2014.
The improved economy has helped decrease the number of participants in recent years. The Congressional Budget Office found, since participation hit its peak in December 2012, the number of people receiving benefits has declined by more than 1.5 million.
Nevertheless, the size alone has prompted concern among many lawmakers. In response, there have been many different proposals on the federal and local level to help prevent abuse.
This problem is in a post of mine from a few weeks ago. When i drove the cab they used to sell them in the deli to get drugs.
Strictly speaking she isn’t the only one defrauding the Food Stamp program. Those who sold the Food Stamps to her also defrauded the government and should be identified and prosecuted as well.
I wonder how they caught her. This sort of thing is extremely widespread in smaller grocery store and corner bodegas.
When I was in college I stayed in the rough part of town because it was cheap. The local supermarket, such as it was, would always have a bunch of people standing outside offering to sell you their food stamps for pennies of the dollar because food stamps won’t buy booze, cigarettes, or drugs. This was 25 years ago. It’s nothing new. I guess the innovative thing here was the store owner being the purchaser of said stamps.
She must of been caught when she refused to pay off the necessary gov’t officials.
And obviously well fed.
5.56mm
The above link to a "ghanacelebrities.com" gives all the details of her scheme.
My bad...took the first spell check entry!
In four years 3.6 million that is significant cash in such a short time, what is more amazing it took 4 years to catch her, apparently no one is watching how are tax dollars are being stolen, you have to assume just based on how much she accumulated that for every one like her who is caught, there are many more getting away with this fraud, the risk it seems is well worth it, at a million a year it sure beats robbing banks and I’ll bet the penalty for this type of theft is a fraction what a bank robber would face.
What a fat hog! Looks like she was eating all her ill gotten gains.
And why is she charged with only one count each?
Why not 3.6 million counts?
She will probably get off with a wrist slap when she should get around 50 years at hard labor.
Apparently, cheating the government of $900,000/year is a SNAP.
“She was able to scam the program by buying food stamp benefits from receipts for half the actual value. “
Like everyone in the country has the opportunity to do- without a measurable chance of being caught.
I’d say the term “overseen” is a stretch.
Except they don’t use food stamps anymore. They use a SNAP debit card that scans. I am guessing you have to be a merchant with a scanning POS system to rip them off these days.
“Like everyone in the country has the opportunity to do- without a measurable chance of being caught.”
Trump is right, our government is staffed by complete idiots! I’d like to see unemployment skyrocket in the public sector! When Trump talks about RIFFING the Department of Education and the EPA, I get “chills!”
Fraud for at least this program would disappear if the program was cancelled. That goes for all the other bleeding heart welfare checks. Oops I forgot about the abundant bureaucracy supporting the program. What will happen to them? Oh the hughmanitee
My guess was right. A highly-privileged member of America’s #1 government-certified victim group.
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