PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Oregon officials are cracking down on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits following a recent investigation into “large-scale theft” in multiple states.
Scott E. Bradford, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, announced that the state has uncovered more than $3 million is stolen benefits with at least 40 defendants facing federal charges.
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“These defendants didn’t just steal data. They didn’t just steal money from the government. They stole food from our most vulnerable: families, senior [sic], and children,” Bradford said.
He announced that there are “multiple” more guilty pleas in relation to these cases, as well as new indictments and two sentences in two interstate fraud operations that “relied on stolen information and skimmed EBT.”
Photo of an EBT skimmer (Courtesy: U.S. Attorney’s Office for District of Oregon)
Photo of an EBT skimmer (Courtesy: U.S. Attorney’s Office for District of Oregon)
Photo of an EBT skimmer (Courtesy: U.S. Attorney’s Office for District of Oregon)
Scott E. Bradford, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, at a Wednesday afternoon press conference. (KOIN)
The first of these cases kicked off in October 2024, though new indictments are still being announced through the coordinated efforts of USDA Office of Inspector General, IRS‑Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, and many other agencies.
According to their investigations, these suspects used skimmed Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards to load up shopping carts with baby formula and energy drinks to sell on the black market.
“When SNAP benefits frauds are stolen, families in Oregon go without food, children in Oregon go without meals, and I will not tolerate that,” Bradford said. “If you steal from SNAP recipients, if you skim EBT cards, if you run fraud schemes that target our most vulnerable, your time is up.”
Watch the full press conference in the video player above.
Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops.
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