Broward store owner accused of using $500,000 in stolen SNAP benefits to buy merchandise for resale
A Broward convenience store owner is facing federal charges for allegedly participating in a years-long scheme to defraud the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) of more than $500,000 by buying food stamp benefits for cash and using them to purchase merchandise for resale, the Department of Justice announced Friday.
Al Amin, 52, of Hollywood, is accused of conspiring with others to purchase Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards from SNAP recipients for approximately half the value of their available benefits, according to federal court records.
Investigators said Amin and his alleged co-conspirators then used the cards to purchase large quantities of merchandise from various retailers.
Authorities allege Amin used some of the merchandise to stock his convenience store and sold additional products to other store owners in the area. A photograph provided by the DOJ shows a man standing next to a large cart stacked with cases of Red Bull and Monster energy drinks inside a retail store; the image is dated Dec. 20, 2024.
SNAP, commonly known as food stamps, is a federal assistance program designed to help eligible low-income individuals and families purchase food. Benefits are distributed through EBT cards, which function similarly to debit cards and can be used at authorized retailers.
Amin faces two federal conspiracy charges: conspiracy involving the unauthorized use, transfer, acquisition or possession of SNAP benefits, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
If convicted, he could face up to five years in federal prison on the SNAP conspiracy charge and up to 20 years on the wire fraud conspiracy charge.
Another South Florida man accused of $862,000 SNAP fraud scheme
In a separate case, a 51-year-old South Florida man was arrested Thursday after allegedly stealing more than $862,000 in federal SNAP benefits through an identity theft scheme that lasted two years.
Anwar Jouda faces four felony charges after investigators said he and a co-defendant stole the identity of a Miami-based Kwik Stop food store to access SNAP funds between 2021 and 2023.
According to court documents, the money was diverted into Jouda's personal bank accounts, with some of the funds later transferred to an individual in the West Bank.
Jouda was arrested in St. Lucie County by the Florida Department of Financial Services' Division of Investigative and Forensic Services. His bond was set at $80,000, with a requirement that any money used to post bond come from a legitimate source.