Two individuals, Dawood Kassim, 31, and Dia Alqalisi, 26, face indictments for an alleged scheme to steal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funds from a warehouse in Brooklyn, New York. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, Kassim, owner of the warehouse, and Alqalisi allegedly facilitated the conversion of SNAP benefits into cash or unallowable products, such as beer, at Throop Farm Market.
The SNAP program, formerly known as food stamps, assists low-income households through the distribution of electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards, which are used to purchase food and essential household needs.
During the period April 2022 through December 2022, Kassim and Alqalisi allegedly allowed SNAP recipients to exchange their benefits for cash or unallowable commodities at their Bedford-Stuyvesant facility. In addition, the two allegedly kept part of the benefits as payment for the service.
In addition, Kassim also allegedly stole SNAP benefits using counterfeit EBT cards stolen from the warehouse, affecting SNAP recipients in several states, including Tennessee, Virginia and California. Prosecutors noted that the victims of this alleged scheme spanned SNAP beneficiaries in several states, underscoring the extent of the impact of these fraudulent actions.
Collectively, through these illicit transactions, the duo obtained more than $20 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, funds that came from the federal government, including more than $7 million from accounts of recipients residing outside of New York.
Both were arrested Tuesday morning and face charges of SNAP fraud, access device fraud and illegal monetary transactions, according to the indictment.
Breon Peace, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said the defendants "illegitimately" benefited from funds intended for "people in need of nutritious food, which is especially crucial in these times of high food costs." "These arrests today should serve as a warning to those who believe that government programs are loot that they can plunder without facing consequences," he added.