The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has carried out a sweeping crackdown on fraudulent Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) retailers across New York City.
The USDA announced the action on Sept. 18, dubbed Operation SNAP Back. It includes hundreds of undercover investigations into 170 retailers—bodegas, convenience stores, and grocery stores—in New York’s five boroughs.
“This is just the latest action in the Trump Administration’s fight against fraud. The message is clear: if you accept any portion of an annual $100 billion taxpayer program, you must follow the rules or face the consequences,” Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said.
The charges laid out in this operation include SNAP trafficking—the exchange of SNAP benefits for cash—and the illegal use of SNAP benefits to purchase ineligible items such as alcohol and non-food items. …