14 Freeloaders ARRESTED for $16 MILLION in Welfare Fraud

[Mystic Wanderer]

Food Stamp benefits costed $74.1 billion in 2014 and supplied roughly 46.5 million Americans with benefits, which comes out to an average of $125.35 for each person per month in food assistance. Even a fraud rate of under 5% amounts to billions in wasted funds. The most popular method of food stamp fraud isn’t fraudulently claiming benefits, it’s recipients trading in their cards for a fraction of their face value for cash.

Whoa! That's a lot of money!  I'm glad to see this deep investigation taking place!

Luckily, the government has actually made some wise steps in counteracting that kind of fraud. Back in April, the USDA passed a rule that allows states the option to require SNAP recipients to make contact with the state when there have been an excessive number of requests for EBT card replacements in a year. Requesting excessive replacement cards can indicate that a client is exchanging SNAP cards for cash or other prohibited items.

On the other hand, it doesn’t take many people to do millions of dollars worth of damage when the system is abused in a major manner.

Fourteen people have been arrested in Baltimore that related to a total of $16 million in food stamp fraud.

(See the video on the source page)

More than a dozen retail store operators in and around Baltimore have been charged in connection to a huge food stamp and wire fraud scheme.
The indictments allege the retailers received more than $16 million in federal payments for transactions in which they did not provide any food, a fraud scheme commonly known as “food stamp trafficking.”

As a result these transactions, they allegedly obtained more than $16,482,270 in EBT deposits for transactions in which food sales never occurred or were substantially inflated and split the proceeds with food stamp recipients.

Here are some of the names on the list:

Here are some of the names of the defendants:

Walayat Khan, 36, of Reisterstown
Shaheen Tasewar Hussain, 60, of Ellicott City
Mulazam Hussain, 54, of Windsor Mill
Mahmood Hussain Shah, 57, of Catonsville
Muhammad Rafiq, 58, of Reisterstown
Mohammad Shafiq, 50, of Gwynn Oak, Maryland; and his daughter,
Alia Shaheen, 24, of Baltimore
Mohammad Irfan, 59, of Nottingham
Muhammad Sarmad, 40, of Nottingham
Kassem Mohammad Hafeed, a/k/a Kassam Mohammad Hafeed, 51, of Baltimore

Ten of the 14 are Muslim.  So, are they using the money for themselves, or sending it to their terrorists friends?  

The fact that so many are willing to trade in their benefits for cash at a discount reflects another problem with the system; that money with strings attached is worth less than money without strings attached. On the market, food stamp benefits tend to sell for between 50-70 cents on the dollar.

If that’s the case, why doesn’t the government just cut out the middleman and pay out 30% less, but in all cash benefits? That way Muslims can’t screw the system and use our tax dollars for terrorist attacks.

That actually sounds like a good idea to me.  After all, there are other items that a person needs besides food... like laundry soap, hygiene items, etc., and if it will prevent money from getting in terrorists hands, that's all the more reason.

Source

[guohua]

WTF!   You're telling me, that Obama's Poor Muslim Refugees are Committing Fraud! No WAY!   This is a Racist Anti-Muslim Story By The Ultra-Right Wing Trump Supporters in Our Government!
OK, Done with my Liberal Hate Rant!
Back To My Senses Now and Thinking Clearly,,,,, GREAT Article and Send Them ALL Back!

[BIAD]

WTF!   You're telling me, that Obama's Poor Muslim Refugees are Committing Fraud! No WAY!   This is a Racist Anti-Muslim Story By The Ultra-Right Wing Trump Supporters in Our Government!
OK, Done with my Liberal Hate Rant!
Back To My Senses Now and Thinking Clearly,,,,, GREAT Article and Send Them ALL Back!

I agree, this is outrageous and is not appropriate with the standard narrative!
I frown at this implication that the world isn't full of noble, honest folk with flowers
in their hair. What the hell do you think'll happen if this kind of story gets out...? Huh?

We outlawed reality nine years ago and you know that!!

[Mystic Wanderer]

Oh dear! Here's another huge food stamp bust.   This one is in Tallahassee, FL. 

Another MASSIVE Welfare Fraud Bust Nets 132 Suspects in 1 State Alone

Four arrests have been made in Tallahassee in connection with a months-long investigation into a food stamp fraud scheme that also involved illegal gambling, racketeering and money laundering.

Detectives and agents seized large sums of U.S. Currency and several vehicles.

Large amounts of money and several vehicles were seized during the investigation of 132 suspects that resulted in the arrests of two men and two men – Wondwossen “Wondu” Gizaw-Tessema, 57, Eyerusalem “Jerry”Hiluf, 31, Firehiwot Gebre, 35, and Christabel Ekhosuehi, 29 in the Tallahassee area.

Hiluf is the mother of Gizaw-Tessema’s child according to county records.
The EBT food stamp operation centered around several businesses owned by Gizaw-Tessema, who was identified by authorities from the Leon County Sheriff’s Office as the ringleader who coordinated activities at his Wondu Marathon Convenience Store, Euro Fashions Boutique, One Stop College Market, Pretty Game Boutique and Belen Mart.

Employees at the businesses bought EBT cards at half their value from at least 100 welfare recipients, then use the cards to purchase items at “big box” discount stores like Sam’s Club and Costco that would be returned for cash.
Some EBT cardholders were instructed to use their cards to make the purchases themselves, and were sold beer, cigarettes and other items that are not approved food stamp purchases.

Agents and detectives found deposits of nearly $1.5 million into four different accounts, with Gizaw-Tessema making withdrawals of almost a half-million dollars during a three-month period.

Read more here: Source

Round 'em up, and move em' out!  Trump is getting it done!!  

[Mystic Wanderer]

Here's another fraud case... by a millionaire, no less!

If we get rid of all these people who are draining the system dry with food stamp fraud, we should have more money to put into programs, like helping build homes for the homeless, taking better care of our Vets, etc.

IRANIAN MILLIONAIRE Charged With Food Stamp Fraud in Ohio…Still Bought Starbucks, Tanning, Cable TV

Now doesn't that just piss you off?!     I know a lot of people with jobs who can't afford Starbucks or Cable t.v.  I was one of them!   

WKYC: The wealthy son of an Iranian prince pleaded not guilty Friday to allegations that he falsely claimed to be a pauper to collect thousands of dollars in food stamps and welfare payments.

Ali Pascal Mahvi, 66, entered his pleas during his first appearance in Geauga County Common Pleas Court.

He is charged with four felonies: illegal use of food stamps, Medicaid fraud and two counts of grand theft.

Prosecutors say Mahvi defrauded Medicaid out of $45,000 in cash and about $8,400 in food stamps.

Read the full story and watch the short video here: Source Link