Lamar Cook, former Maura Healey staffer facing gun and drug charges, now accused of SNAP fraud
Lamar Cook, a former staffer for Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey who was fired after his arrest on cocaine and gun charges last year, has been arrested again. This time, Cook is facing federal charges for alleged Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) fraud.
Cook, 46, is the former deputy director of the governor's western Massachusetts office. He was fired in November 2025 after being arrested on state charges. Prosecutors said at the time that Cook allegedly had cocaine delivered to a state building in Springfield where he was working.
On Wednesday, U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah Foley announced federal charges against Cook. He is charged with one count of SNAP fraud and wire fraud and is scheduled to appear in federal court in South Boston Wednesday afternoon.
Prosecutors said Cook was making a $130,227 year while working for Healey and received $22,374.29 for accrued vacation time when he was fired. The state later "realized an error" in paying Cook for the accrued vacation time, and unsuccessfully tried to reverse the direct deposits.
The state was unable to get the money back because Cook did not have enough money in his accounts.
Lamar Cook federal charges
The U.S. Attorney said Cook's bank account held balances of about $13,000 in January 2026 and $8,800 in April 2026.
Prosecutors say that Cook's mother won $1 million in the Massachusetts Lottery in early 2026. She made payments to Cook totaling about $12,000 between May and June 2026.
On April 6, 2026, Cook applied for SNAP benefits and allegedly claimed zero income, less than $100 in his bank account, and said he was living in a two-person household with only himself and his child.
Cook allegedly failed to disclose that his fiancée and her mother lived with him at his Springfield home. In addition, investigators say his fiancée was making more than $80,000 as an employee of Springfield Public Schools.
After applying to the program, Cook received nearly $550 per month in SNAP benefits. Prosecutors said he used them regularly at grocery and retail stores and also during a trip to Disney World in Florida this past July.
U.S. Attorney calls allegations "simply egregious"
If convicted of SNAP fraud, Cook faces up to five years in prison. A wire fraud conviction would mean a sentence of up to 20 years.
"The alleged conduct is simply egregious. SNAP benefits are intended to put food on the table for struggling families who cannot make ends meet, not for those who allegedly hide income to circumvent the financial requirements, much less travel to Disney World," Foley said in a statement Wednesday.
She called it "disturbing" that the state couldn't stop the alleged SNAP fraud from happening and could not recover the $22,000 it mistakenly paid Cook for his vacation time.
During an event on Wednesday, Healey was asked about the latest charges against Cook.
"Good. That's a federal program. Those are federal taxpayer dollars. And I'm glad that the U.S. Attorney's office has taken action," Healey said.
Healey is currently running for re-election. Her opponent, Mike Minogue, released a statement following Cook's arrest.
"Maura Healey appointed this man. This is a failure at every level. Families in this state are cutting back at the grocery store while this administration can't even track its own payroll. Governor Healey is about to spend a record-breaking $298 billion over her four-year term, and Cook's case proves we can no longer afford to let her hide what's going on with the numbers," Minogue said.
