"Perry Carbone, Attorney for the United States, Acting under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515; Charmeka Parker, the Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General (“USDA-OIG”); and Christopher G. Raia, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of a Superseding Indictment charging six individuals in connection with a sprawling fraud and bribery scheme that generated over $66 million in unauthorized transactions under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”)—colloquially known as food stamps. This is one of the largest food stamp frauds in U.S. history. The defendants—MICHAEL KEHOE, MOHAMAD NAWAFLEH, OMAR ALRAWASHDEH, GAMAL OBAID, EMAD ALRAWASHDEH, and ARLASA DAVIS—are charged with conspiracy to steal government funds and to misappropriate U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) benefits, among other charges. DAVIS, a USDA employee, is additionally charged with bribery and honest services fraud. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff." FULL STORY at above link.
NEW YORK, May 29, 2025 – "A longtime U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) employee and five others face federal charges in what authorities describe as one of the largest food stamp frauds in American history. The group allegedly orchestrated a sprawling $66 million fraud and bribery scheme targeting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, undermining a critical lifeline for low-income families."
"The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, alongside the USDA Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG) and the FBI, announced the unsealing of a superseding indictment on Thursday. The defendants—Michael Kehoe, 46, of Long Island, New York; Mohamad Nawafleh, 34, of the Bronx; Omar Alrawashdeh, 37, of the Bronx; Gamal Obaid, 39, of the Bronx; Emad Alrawashdeh, 37, of the Bronx; and Arlasa Davis, 56, of Gardiner, New York—are accused of exploiting SNAP for personal gain through fraudulent transactions and bribery. Each faces charges of conspiracy to steal government funds, theft of government funds, and misappropriation of USDA benefits, carrying potential prison sentences of up to 5, 10, and 20 years, respectively." FULL STORY at above link.