The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon has confirmed that most of the 40 defendants charged with SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) fraud are illegal immigrants. These individuals are part of organized crime rings that have defrauded the government of over $3 million.
The fraudulent activities involved skimming data from EBT cards to buy SNAP-approved items and resell them illegally.
At least 11 people have been indicted recently, accused of stealing more than $140,000 from SNAP recipients.
Oregon's U.S. Attorney Scott Bradford emphasized the negative impact of these crimes on local families and children.
Two significant cases were referenced:
In US v Ramirez et al, a scheme led by 25-year-old Romanian national Ramirez Dumitru involved 17 defendants. They stole over $2.4 million and organized theft and transportation of stolen goods to sell on the black market.
In US v Alexandru Telescu et al, 12 individuals were indicted for stealing at least $700,000 from SNAP benefits and reselling the goods.
Oregon ranks third in the U.S. for SNAP fraud. The state's vulnerability, due to unchipped cards, allows organized crime to exploit the system. The U.S. Attorney's Office aims to combat these fraudulent activities to protect the community and restore trust in the SNAP program.
No comments:
Post a Comment