Another instance of wasted tax money is being displayed at a modest Philadelphia part grocery store. In this case, “nearly$ 2 million” in food rewards meant for the eager went to one individual.
Store user Jenny Espinal Tejada, 34, was sentenced this week to 18 months in prison. She may give more than$ 1.8 million in compensation and withhold” the money of her acts, for defrauding the U. S. state”, according to a media release from the Eastern District of Pennsylvania’s U. S. Attorney’s Office. In October, Espinal Tejada admitted guilt to two counts of wire fraud and defrauding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ( SNAP ).
Here is how she did it, according to the attorney’s company:
Even though she was aware that the little corner grocery shop had not been approved to participate in SNAP as a merchant, Espinal Tejada acknowledged using the smaller part shop in Philadelphia to unlock SNAP benefits, the media release reads.
According to the attorney’s company, Espinal Tejada “gained exposure to the system by misappropriating” identification numbers that “had been assigned” to retailers participating in SNAP genuinely. She “abused the program by trading benefits for cash in her store” and” to work around the SNAP rules” with these misappropriated numbers.
It is against the law to purchase or sell SNAP benefits or exchange them for anything other than food items that qualify.
” Espinal Tejada sought to profit illicitly from the SNAP program, diverting nearly$ 2 million of the USDA’s money”, U. S. Attorney Romero said in the statement. We and our partners will continue to prosecute abuses like this and make sure that those who commit them are held held accountable in accordance with the laws that apply to these resources every day and the taxpayers who fund the programs.
This was nearly$ 2 million at just one store. Investigators should continue to look because we are aware that SNAP fraud is pervasive.
In Buffalo, New York this week, a woman named Carmella Miller was sentenced to five years of probation, 200 hours of community service, and ordered to pay back more than$ 6, 000 in restitution after being convicted of grand larceny and welfare fraud. She allegedly lied about her income and allegedly lied about having SNAP collected. According to a regional NBC affiliate, Miller” collected a total of$ 6, 406 in public assistance benefits that she was not entitled to receive” for “nearly four years.”
In Minnesota, a Shakopee woman was charged with theft for “fraudulently collect]ing ] more than$ 60, 000 in public benefits while incarcerated”, according to a local Fox affiliate. This included$ 2, 619 in SNAP, as well as” General Assistance … in the form of cash benefits and Medical Assistance”.  ,
Another type of SNAP fraud is described in a report from the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute: “organized card-skimming schemes,” where a SNAP cardholder swipes to pay for their food and the magnetic stripe is skimmed for data.  ,
According to a December release from the Institute,” Congress directed states to replace most stolen SNAP with federal funds.” ” Since then, the Massachusetts SNAP agency, the Department of Transitional Assistance …, has issued approximately$ 10 million federal dollars to replace stolen SNAP for about 21, 000 households”.
When someone steals your wallet, no one gives you replacement cash. However, starting in 2022, SNAP recipients were able to fill out a form and receive replacement checks on their cards as if there was a never-ending stash of cash somewhere. According to the USDA,” ]c ] ongressional authority to replace stolen benefits expired on Dec. 20, 2024″.
As my colleague Tristan Justice recently reported, SNAP has also been nutritionally misused. According to a recent report from the Foundation for Government Accountability, Americans spent “nearly twice as much on sweetened beverages than fruit with candy, sugary drinks, and desserts exceeding purchases of fruits and vegetables by more than$ 400 million,” citing the most recent USDA data from 2016.
Between SNAP, free school breakfast and lunch, the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, senior food-programs” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>food assistance, food-programs” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>food banks, emergency food-programs” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>food assistance, soup kitchens, church potlucks, and the kindness of neighbors, no one should go hungry in America.
People in the United States don’t want anyone to starve, but those who do don’t depend on candy or give away their food credit. SNAP needs an audit.
Beth Brelje covers The Federalist’s elections coverage. She is an award-winning investigative journalist with decades of media experience.
