Office of Inspector General Investigation Leads to Food Stamp Trafficking Charges Against 10 in Harrisburg

 

Harrisburg, Pa. -- Four Harrisburg store owners, an employee and five recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, formerly known as food stamps, were charged Friday with welfare fraud after an investigation by the Pennsylvania Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Harrisburg Bureau of Police.

“These charges resulted from successful teamwork among law enforcement agencies and the OIG. What started out as a drug investigation by the police led to the break-up of a SNAP trafficking ring by this agency,” Inspector General Bruce R. Beemer said.

The OIG’s investigation began after Harrisburg Police forwarded numerous Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards found in the course of a drug investigation at Kennedy Fried Chicken. The OIG investigators reviewed SNAP transactions on the cards, which led to the charges against the defendants named below and another 45 SNAP recipients whose charges will be handled administratively.

The OIG charged the following store owners with SNAP trafficking, access device fraud and conspiracy for claim amounts of $13,000 each:

• Waqas Ahmad and Awais Ahmad, owners of Kennedy Fried Chicken at 2001 North 6th St.
• Saif Ud Din, owner of 4Star at 1531 Derry St. and also associated with a store of the same name on Lindenwood Lane.
• Samina Akther, owner, of 4G at 1240 Derry St.

Idris Ali, an employee of 4G, was charged with SNAP trafficking and conspiracy.

The OIG also charged the following SNAP recipients with fraudulently buying/exchanging SNAP benefits:

• Christopher Vogt Myers, of Reily Road, for a claim amount of about $69;
• Taisha Snowden, of Crescent Street, for a claim amount of about $400;
• Zina Foster, of Dauphin Street, for a claim amount of about $400;
• Vanessa Orosco, of Thompson Street, for a claim amount of about $150; and
• Eugene Diggs, of North 18th Street, for a claim amount of about $1,300.

Vogt-Myers, Foster and Snowden remain at large. Anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to call Detective Heffner at 717-255-3181 or Corporal Henry at 717-255-3130 or email them at DHeffner@cityofhbg.com or DHenry@cityofhbg.com. Tips will remain confidential.

The Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office will prosecute the cases. If convicted, the defendants face possible incarceration; payment of restitution, court costs and fines; and disqualification from receiving SNAP benefits for a minimum of one year.

Also involved in the investigations were personnel from the Pennsylvania National Guard Counterdrug Joint Task Force, Homeland Security Investigation, Pennsylvania State Attorney General’s Office, Dauphin County Sheriff, Swatara Township Police, Dauphin County Probation, Harrisburg City Code Enforcement and Harrisburg Health Inspector’s Office.

Welfare fraud tips may be reported anonymously on the OIG’s tipline at 1-800-932-0582 or online at www.OIG.pa.gov.

MEDIA CONTACT: Ellen Lyon, 717-783-7756

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