Please click here for an important message from Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater
The SLEB is a partnership between the State
of Florida and the Food & Nutrition Service of
the US Department of Agriculture established
to combat illegal trafficking of Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamp)
benefits. 
Its purpose is to coordinate and
encourage law enforcement and regulatory
efforts to attack the
problem of food
stamp trafficking on
the municipal, state
and federal levels.
Through the combined efforts of the USDA’s
Food and Nutrition Service and the Florida
Department of Financial Services, the SLEB
provides any member agency critical resources
and data that support their efforts to combat
the problem of food stamp trafficking and
other crime it produces in their jurisdiction. It
coordinates efforts between municipal, State
and Federal investigative agencies to prevent
duplication of effort or overlap while protecting
the integrity of an investigation.
The SLEB also provides member agencies
state-issued EBT card(s) with electronic food
stamp benefits to be used in covert investigations
of stores at which trafficking is suspected.
Targeting data, reports on investigative
targets, and technical assistance are part of
the investigative support resources the
SLEB provides.
For more information,
contact the Division of Public
Assistance Fraud by email at: PAFinquiries@
myfloridacfo.com
By mail:
Division of Public Assistance Fraud
200 E. Gaines Street
Warrants for the arrests of more than 50 people
were issued and the massive criminal round up
began at 5 a.m. Tuesday morning. The Manatee
County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with the
Bradenton Police Department, Florida Department
of Financial Services, the US Department of
Agriculture and Homeland Security worked
together on the first bust of its kind in the area.
Fifty three people were charged with a total of
78 charges, including social welfare fraud, a 3rd
degree felony, and a number of other charges
related to narcotics.
In January 2012, undercover officers approached
their administration regarding the large numbers of
Electronic Balance Transfer (EBT) cards they were
finding at various residences during drug busts.
Officers stated that between three and four to as
many as 10 to 15 EBT cards were found at homes
that did not belong to those residing in the homes.
An investigation uncovered that drug dealers were
purchasing the EBT cards from whom they had
been issued, for 50 cents on the dollar or less. In
addition to the drug dealers, it also come to light
that some area store owners were also finding ways
to use the EBT cards to their advantage.
Four people were arrested yesterday in connection
with a scheme to cheat the state out of $1.3
million in food stamps. The four were charged
with Grand Theft and Public Assistance Fraud
following a six-month investigation by the
state’s Public Assistance Fraud unit into illegal
food stamp trafficking at Partners Meat & Fish
Market, located at 1298 NW 62nd Street. Other
investigators from the Florida Department of
Lottery and the Florida Department of Revenue
are looking at additional criminal charges after
a search warrant was served at the small Liberty
City store.
Food stamp trafficking is the buying or selling
electronic food stamp benefits. Investigators
say that store owners pay food stamp recipients
about 50 cents in cash for every dollar taken from
the electronic food stamp benefit card. The cash
received from the sale of food stamps is then
used for other things to include jewelry, beauty
products or quite possibly drugs.
Additional arrests are likely as the focus shifts to
the hundreds of food stamp recipients suspected
of selling their food stamps at Partners Meat &
Fish Market. Those who are found guilty face
a third degree felony charge and a lifetime
disqualification to receive food stamps.
In addition to state charges, the store owners may
face federal penalties by the USDA for violating
food stamp program guidelines. These penalties
may include fines, temporary or permanent
disqualification, and forfeiture of property.
Becoming a member of SLEB is simple. It only requires signing an agreement to follow the straightforward requirements for the proper control and use of any issued EBT cards and coordinating any investigation of a suspected trafficking store with the SLEB. Periodic reports are also needed by the SLEB in order to report State investigative efforts to FNS.
Time and time again, investigations into
food stamp trafficking have resulted in law
enforcement officials obtaining evidence of
other criminal activities generated by these
stores. Often, investigations into these small
markets and convenience stores find that they
are small criminal enterprises that help fuel
other chronic community problems that plague
local law enforcement.
Law enforcement agencies know where
problems exist in their communities.
Community markets and convenience stores
engaging in multifaceted criminal activities
may often be difficult for law enforcement to
broach. A food stamp trafficking investigation
can be an effective means of getting into
a store, stopping the illegal food stamp
trafficking and other criminal activity it spawns.
Food stamp trafficking is a felony
in Florida, as specified in
Chapter 414.39, FS.
After a months long investigation by GPD, USDA
and other agencies a multi store food stamp fraud
has been uncovered in Gainesville.
Three Gainesville
convenience stores
were busted for food
stamp fraud on
September 1st and
Thursday police issued
31 warrants related
to that bust. Police
suspect the stores involved were exchanging EBT
benefits for cash. They are also looking into the
stores for counterfeit merchandise and tobacco
and beverage violations.
The USDA estimates food stamp trafficking
defrauds taxpayers of
$330 million each
year. So on the
federal and local
level investigators
are monitoring
EBT patterns.
The owners of SMI are accused of using food
stamps to stock their shelves, buying people’s
EBT benefits for 50 cents on the dollar.
Police are also going after the EBT card holders
and the former owner and clerk at 99 Cents and
More, also busted in September.
Police arrested
8 people Thursday and will charge two already
in jail and two already
in prison...but police are
still looking for 19 more,
including the former
owner of 99 cents and
More. They will all be
charged with racketeering.
