LANSING, Mich. — A federal grand jury has charged Mohinder Singh, who runs Romario’s convenience store in Lansing, on nine SNAP benefit fraud counts plus one federal charge of stealing or converting public money, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office led by U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey says Singh swapped cash and other items customers could not legally buy with food benefits, and let some shoppers pay off debts to him using their SNAP balances. The indictment says he typically handed over 50 cents in cash for every dollar of benefits and charged fees in benefits when he extended credit.
The government contends Singh meant to cause more than $1 million in losses. The case grew out of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which runs SNAP.
The case is part of a national crackdown that reached more than 40 defendants tied to about $45 million in intended losses, roughly $42 million of it in SNAP fraud. Each fraud count carries up to five years in prison, and the theft count carries up to 10 years. An indictment is only an accusation, and Singh is presumed innocent.
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