Brooklyn Bodega Owners Charged in $20 Million SNAP Fraud Scheme

The scheme involved exchanging benefits for cash and non-eligible goods, impacting victims across multiple states.

Two individuals, Dawood Kassim and Dia Alqalisi, have been charged with stealing over $20 million in SNAP benefits through fraudulent transactions at a Brooklyn bodega.
The scheme involved exchanging SNAP benefits for cash or non-SNAP eligible goods, and using counterfeit and stolen EBT cards.
Victims of the fraud included SNAP recipients from multiple states, including Tennessee, Virginia, and California.
The fraudulent activities took place between April and December 2022, with the defendants profiting from federally funded benefits intended for low-income households.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the bodega in December 2022, seizing EBT terminals, cash, and counterfeit EBT cards.