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The owner of a Southside Birmingham grocery store, who was among those arrested last week in a state food stamp fraud roundup, pleaded guilty Monday to unrelated charges of federal food stamp and tax fraud totaling more than $1.6 million.

Sufyan Hazem Saleh, 33, of Birmingham, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge R. David Proctor to one count of tax fraud and one count of food stamp fraud.

Under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney's Office, Saleh agrees to pay restitution of $498,470 to the IRS and $1,125,772 to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the food stamp program.

Saleh also has agreed to forfeit another $375,220 to the government.

In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors are dismissing two other charges and a sentence at the low end of the federal sentencing guideline range, which will be determined at sentencing.

Saleh's attorney, Clayton Tartt, declined comment after Monday's change of plea hearing.

Saleh is to be sentenced Sept. 10, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, Investigations, Special Agent in Charge Karen Citizen-Wilcox, and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Veronica Hyman-Pillot.

Saleh owns the now shuttered City Supermarket at 1531 13th Place South, a convenience grocery store that was authorized by USDA to accept food stamp benefits, according to the statement that cites court documents. A federal grand jury indicted Saleh in August 2014.

People who receive SNAP program benefits, get them from the USDA on an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards, which function like debit cards. Saleh pleaded guilty to redeeming EBT SNAP benefits for cash, which is prohibited, between January 2010 and December 2011, according to the statement.

Of the nearly $1.9 million City Supermarket redeemed in EBT SNAP benefits during that period, the USDA estimated that $1,125,772 was food stamp fraud, according to the statement.

One or more cooperating witnesses for the USDA Office of Inspector General were used on multiple occasions in late 2009 and in 2010 to redeem EBT cards for cash, according to the plea agreement.  

Saleh, a naturalized citizen who was raised in Oakland Calif., also pleaded guilty to tax fraud for under reporting to the IRS his 2009 and 2010 income received from redeeming SNAP benefits. Saleh did not report about $1.6 million in income from food stamp redemption for the two tax years, resulting in a tax loss of about $498,470, according to his plea.

Saleh recently was arrested last week on unrelated state charges of food stamp fraud along with 16 others in Operation T-bone, a countywide sweep that targeted those who have allegedly cheated the food stamp system of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Some of the profits were sent to Yemen, prosecutors said.

Saleh faces 11 charges of EBT fraud in the state case. He was being held in the Jefferson County Jail on Monday morning.

Saleh on Monday morning and many of the 17 charged in last week's roundup appeared before Jefferson County District Court Judge Shelly Watkins for a hearing to see whether they needed attorneys and other issues. In at least one case the judge lowered the bond to $20,000 per case for one person facing 23 counts of food stamp fraud.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Pat Meadows, who is prosecuting the federal case, said any monies sent by Saleh to Yemen were sent to his family.

In the round up last week prosecutors said that a number of convenience store owners bought EBT cards for about half of what they are worth. In return, the person who sold their EBT card now had cash to buy items not allowed to be purchased under the government system, such as alcohol, tobacco and drugs.

The store owners and managers then would then go to a wholesaler where they would buy goods and bring them back to their stores to sell at a further inflated price.

Presiding Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Houston Brown also has set hearings for Thursday on Jefferson County District Attorney requests for forfeiture of property, equipment and bank accounts of those charged in the fraud.

Last edited by Bestworking
Original Post

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A couple of steaks shoplifted at a Gardendale Walmart three months ago led to the biggest food stamp fraud investigation in Jefferson County's history, and launched 11 simultaneous raids this morning at convenience stores countywide.

Led by the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office, teams of law enforcement officers met at 5 a.m. for a briefing and then fanned out across the county beginning at 6:50 a.m. The officers and agents were armed with 242 arrest warrants and plans to arrest 17 suspects.

All 17 suspects were in custody by mid-morning, and investigators already today have filed for forfeiture and condemnation of those 11 stores, which totals more than $1 million in assets.

http://www.al.com/news/birming..._turned_ebt_car.html

EBT Collage.jpg

Man previously arrested in cigar counterfeiting ring, 1 other charged in EBT fraud investigation

2 more arrests in EBT fraud probe

In 2009, Elnaham was charged in connection with a cigar-counterfeiting ringthat flooded the Southeast with cheap, uninspected cigars from China and India. He faced multiple counts of theft of trademark, but the charges were nolle prossed - meaning the prosecution formally told the court it was no longer pursuing the case.

Another suspect in the EBT fraud case, Fred Shunnarah, was arrested and booked into the Jefferson County Jail on Thursday afternoon. He is charged with nine counts of fraudulent use of a debit or credit card and one count of welfare fraud.

http://www.al.com/news/birming...cart_related_stories

 

 

Originally Posted by Bestworking:

A couple of steaks shoplifted at a Gardendale Walmart three months ago led to the biggest food stamp fraud investigation in Jefferson County's history, and launched 11 simultaneous raids this morning at convenience stores countywide.

Led by the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office, teams of law enforcement officers met at 5 a.m. for a briefing and then fanned out across the county beginning at 6:50 a.m. The officers and agents were armed with 242 arrest warrants and plans to arrest 17 suspects.

All 17 suspects were in custody by mid-morning, and investigators already today have filed for forfeiture and condemnation of those 11 stores, which totals more than $1 million in assets.

http://www.al.com/news/birming..._turned_ebt_car.html

EBT Collage.jpg

______

 

Uh, Best, this story is the subject of a topic I began several days ago.  Those who profess an aversion to "new" topics that merely echo a previously-posted topic might take note of your performance here.

 

https://www.tnvalleytalks.com/t...4#447440695307048644

Originally Posted by Contendah:
Originally Posted by Bestworking:

A couple of steaks shoplifted at a Gardendale Walmart three months ago led to the biggest food stamp fraud investigation in Jefferson County's history, and launched 11 simultaneous raids this morning at convenience stores countywide.

Led by the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office, teams of law enforcement officers met at 5 a.m. for a briefing and then fanned out across the county beginning at 6:50 a.m. The officers and agents were armed with 242 arrest warrants and plans to arrest 17 suspects.

All 17 suspects were in custody by mid-morning, and investigators already today have filed for forfeiture and condemnation of those 11 stores, which totals more than $1 million in assets.

http://www.al.com/news/birming..._turned_ebt_car.html

EBT Collage.jpg

______

 

Uh, Best, this story is the subject of a topic ("Food Stamp Fraudsters") I began several days ago (see link below). Those who profess an aversion to "new" topics that basically address a previously-posted topic might take note of your performance here.

 

In the future, kindly avoid this ksort of topical clutter.

 

https://www.tnvalleytalks.com/t...4#447440695307048644

 

Last edited by Contendah
Originally Posted by Contendah:
Originally Posted by Contendah:
Originally Posted by Bestworking:

A couple of steaks shoplifted at a Gardendale Walmart three months ago led to the biggest food stamp fraud investigation in Jefferson County's history, and launched 11 simultaneous raids this morning at convenience stores countywide.

Led by the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office, teams of law enforcement officers met at 5 a.m. for a briefing and then fanned out across the county beginning at 6:50 a.m. The officers and agents were armed with 242 arrest warrants and plans to arrest 17 suspects.

All 17 suspects were in custody by mid-morning, and investigators already today have filed for forfeiture and condemnation of those 11 stores, which totals more than $1 million in assets.

http://www.al.com/news/birming..._turned_ebt_car.html

EBT Collage.jpg

______

 

Uh, Best, this story is the subject of a topic ("Food Stamp Fraudsters") I began several days ago (see link below). Those who profess an aversion to "new" topics that basically address a previously-posted topic might take note of your performance here.

 

In the future, kindly avoid this ksort of topical clutter.

 

https://www.tnvalleytalks.com/t...4#447440695307048644

 ====================

What's 'ksort'? Do you really think you can tell me how I can post? How about in the future YOU avoid posting at all? Or at least keep your threads on the same subject down to just two.

 

Last edited by Bestworking

 

If people are selling their food vouchers to get alcohol, tobacco and buy drugs, and apparently can afford to get food other ways, it makes one wonder how they ever became eligible for the programs anyway and who is doing the checking for fraud.

 

http://www.fraudoftheday.com/2...2/the-game-of-fraud/

 

According to a recent article in The Baltimore Sun, food stamp fraud is big business in the Baltimore area.  Unfortunately for the criminals participating in the wide-spread food stamp fraud scheme, law enforcement is ahead of their game.  The article details the story of 10 convenience store owners now required to face up to their part in bilking the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) of millions of dollars in benefit assistance.

One of the most popular types of food stamp fraud is a 50-50 split between food stamp beneficiaries and merchants.  Instead of providing food, the merchant exchanges cash for the benefits and keeps half of the proceeds.

The article reports that the first two criminals to be sentenced for their part in the scheme are two Korean citizens. (Strike one for participating in food stamp fraud.) The son and mother duo did not have legal immigration status. (In a town where baseball is big, this counts as strike two.) 

The story states that the son and mom team exchanged approximately $25,000 to $30,000 of food stamp benefits per day over approximately 50 transactions. (Each customer would typically spend between $500 and $600 per visit – a possible red flag that may have alerted investigators of wrong-doing.)

The 40-year-old man was sentenced to three-years and two months in prison plus three years of supervised release.  His 67-year-old mother was sentenced to a year-and-a-half in prison. (Mom, you should have known better.) They were both ordered to each forfeit more than $371,000 and pay $1.4 million in restitution.  Since the two were not legal immigrants, they have agreed not to object to any proceedings following the completion of their prison sentence. (A possible strike three if the judge decides the deceptive duo should be deported.)

Eight other convenience store owners are awaiting sentencing for their part in the scheme.  While it remains to be seen if the son and mom duo will get a third strike for their crimes against SNAP, one thing is for sure – law enforcement authorities hit a home run. (Let’s hope that the judge makes the right call in this situation.) The final score: Baltimore 10, Criminals 0.

================

 

Last edited by Bestworking
Originally Posted by Bestworking:
Originally Posted by Contendah:
Originally Posted by Contendah:
Originally Posted by Bestworking:

A couple of steaks shoplifted at a Gardendale Walmart three months ago led to the biggest food stamp fraud investigation in Jefferson County's history, and launched 11 simultaneous raids this morning at convenience stores countywide.

Led by the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office, teams of law enforcement officers met at 5 a.m. for a briefing and then fanned out across the county beginning at 6:50 a.m. The officers and agents were armed with 242 arrest warrants and plans to arrest 17 suspects.

All 17 suspects were in custody by mid-morning, and investigators already today have filed for forfeiture and condemnation of those 11 stores, which totals more than $1 million in assets.

http://www.al.com/news/birming..._turned_ebt_car.html

EBT Collage.jpg

______

 

Uh, Best, this story is the subject of a topic ("Food Stamp Fraudsters") I began several days ago (see link below). Those who profess an aversion to "new" topics that basically address a previously-posted topic might take note of your performance here.

 

In the future, kindly avoid this ksort of topical clutter.

 

https://www.tnvalleytalks.com/t...4#447440695307048644

 ====================

What's 'ksort'? Do you really think you can tell me how I can post? How about in the future YOU avoid posting at all? Or at least keep your threads on the same subject down to just two.________________

 "ksort" is a typo that anyone halfway conversant with the English language would readily  recognize as being intended as "sort." Guess that leaves you out.

 

Again, all I said was:  " Those who profess an aversion to "new" topics that merely echo a previously-posted topic might take note of your performance here."  And I stand by that.

 

Last edited by Contendah

And I stand by what I posted:

Uh beternnun, I posted something a bit different about the story. You're one to talk, seeing as how you do it all the time. Semi had posted the dugger story yet you still made a thread. It has nothing to do with your thread. If you don't want to comment, don't. You've lost your mind.

What's 'ksort'? Do you really think you can tell me how I can post? How about in the future YOU avoid posting at all? Or at least keep your threads on the same subject down to just two.

 

BTW, be sure to berate yourself for the typo, you know, like you do everyone else that makes a mistake. Are YOU going to stop making duplicate threads? Going to take yours down that you made after Semi's? Don't tell me how to post, that's not your job.

http://news.yahoo.com/video/al...-swat-020911080.html

Nice neighborhood.

 

Alleged welfare fraud leads to SWAT team raid in Somerton

     by WPVI – Philadelphia                    1:59 mins                  

 

 

 

SWAT teams raided a home in Philadelphia's Somerton section and it was all reportedly related to a case involving thousands in welfare fraud in New Jersey.

Originally Posted by Bestworking:
Originally Posted by Contendah:
Originally Posted by Contendah:
Originally Posted by Bestworking:

A couple of steaks shoplifted at a Gardendale Walmart three months ago led to the biggest food stamp fraud investigation in Jefferson County's history, and launched 11 simultaneous raids this morning at convenience stores countywide.

Led by the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office, teams of law enforcement officers met at 5 a.m. for a briefing and then fanned out across the county beginning at 6:50 a.m. The officers and agents were armed with 242 arrest warrants and plans to arrest 17 suspects.

All 17 suspects were in custody by mid-morning, and investigators already today have filed for forfeiture and condemnation of those 11 stores, which totals more than $1 million in assets.

http://www.al.com/news/birming..._turned_ebt_car.html

EBT Collage.jpg

______

 

Uh, Best, this story is the subject of a topic ("Food Stamp Fraudsters") I began several days ago (see link below). Those who profess an aversion to "new" topics that basically address a previously-posted topic might take note of your performance here.

 

In the future, kindly avoid this ksort of topical clutter.

 

https://www.tnvalleytalks.com/t...4#447440695307048644

 ====================

What's 'ksort'? Do you really think you can tell me how I can post? How about in the future YOU avoid posting at all? Or at least keep your threads on the same subject down to just two.

 ======================

In his rush to make multiple threads about Trump of all things, beternnun forgets his other threads and denies what he's posted. False ASSertions beternnun? Where? And, what about YOUR topical clutter?

 

Last edited by Bestworking

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