South Florida man arrested in alleged $862,000 SNAP benefits fraud using stolen store identity

A 51-year-old South Florida man faces multiple felony charges after allegedly fraudulently obtaining more than $862,000 in federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits through a two-year identity theft scheme, state officials announced Thursday.

Anwar Jouda was arrested Thursday morning in St. Lucie County by the Florida Department of Financial Services' Division of Investigative and Forensic Services on four counts related to theft and fraud.

According to court documents, Jouda and a co-defendant allegedly stole the identity of a Miami-based Kwik Stop food store to access SNAP funds between 2021 and 2023. Investigators said the funds were diverted into Jouda's personal bank accounts, with a portion later transferred to an individual in the West Bank.

Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero Stutz described the operation as a complex, multi-step scheme.

"The allegations described a coordinated scheme involving multiple steps," Cordero Stutz said. "Think about the effort that went into that alleged scheme, and the persistence it takes to uncover it."

Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia condemned the alleged fraud, stating that it diverted resources intended for people relying on government assistance.

"It takes a certain type of person to actually do this," Ingoglia said, calling the offense a "crime tax." "To take the money and need of someone else and deposit it into their own bank account."

Jouda's bond was set at $80,000 across all four charges. As a condition of release, he must prove that any funds used to post bond originate from a legitimate source.