Massive $7 Million SNAP Fraud Scheme Uncovered at Boston Stores

"Shocking and glaring" is how Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Leah Foley described a massive SNAP benefit trafficking scheme that netted nearly $7 million for two Boston small retail store operators.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts announced, "Two men have been arrested and charged in an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain millions of dollars worth of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits through small retail stores they operated in Boston."

Get our free mobile app

How the Alleged SNAP Scheme Worked

Among other things, the men are charged with trafficking SNAP benefits for cash and with selling liquor in exchange for SNAP benefits.

"Defendants also allegedly sold donated food products intended for food-insecure children overseas," according to Foley's office. The MannaPack meals, manufactured by the nonprofit Feed My Starving Children, are intended for humanitarian relief.

Foley said the defendant sold the meals for $8 per package.

Who Is Accused in the Case

Foley said Antonio Benheur, 74, of Mattapan and Saul Alisme, 21, of Hyde Park were arrested on Wednesday and charged with food stamp fraud.

"This is taxpayer money meant to keep people from going hungry. These defendants decided to take it for themselves," Foley told a news conference on Wednesday. "This case exposes a serious breakdown in oversight."

The U.S. Justice Department alleges that both stores "exhibited extraordinarily high SNAP redemption volumes, far beyond what could reasonably be supported by legitimate food sales."

Federal Concerns About SNAP Oversight

SNAP fraud exists through various means, such as EBT card theft and ineligible recipients, with estimates showing that fraud payments reach around 11-12 percent, reaching more than $10.5 billion annually.