Store owner pleads guilty to food stamp fraud that caused government to lose $120,000
The owner of Ithaca Halal Meat and Grocery pleaded guilty to federal food stamp fraud on Thursday.
Abdul Jalil, 55, admitted that he exchanged food stamps for cash with customers at his store, resulting in a loss to the government of $120,061, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York. During his plea, he agreed to pay full restitution to the government.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 25 in Albany. At sentencing, the defendant faces up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, the Ithaca Police Department, and the Ithaca Department of Social Services, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Thomson.
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This article originally appeared on Ithaca Journal: Store owner in Ithaca pleads guilty to food stamp fraud
