Seattle police arrest 11 in food stamps fraud ring
Seattle police arrested 11 people in a months-long investigation into a food stamps fraud ring operating in the Chinatown-International District. Detectives say scammers bought EBT cards from vulnerable people at a 50% discount, then worked with King and Snohomish county businesses to turn the benefits into profit.
SEATTLE – Seattle police have arrested 11 people involved in a fraudulent food stamp scheme that targeted vulnerable residents in the Chinatown-International District.
Seattle Police Department Detective Brian Pritchard said the operation was “several months in the making” going back to July ending in October.
SPD’s West Precinct led the effort, with help from county and other regional agencies.
Food stamp scheme in Seattle
The backstory:
According to Pritchard, officers watched suspects buying EBT cards — meant to provide food benefits — from vulnerable people in the area.
“They would buy the cards, and then they would go to local business to purchase items,” Pritchard said. “Sometimes they were working with the businesses, and they would buy items and sell items back. It was a revolving type of thing.”
Detectives say the suspects paid EBT cardholders in cash.
“The suspect would pay the EBT cardholders in cash for food and household goods. The suspects would then buy the EBT cardholders at a discount as much as 50%.”
Detectives say some products never even left the shelf, as the scheme involved coordinated returns and resales to maximize profits beyond the CID.
“The crime ring would then sell the food and household items to restaurants and businesses in King and Snohomish counties,” Pritchard said.
What they’re saying:
Police say many of the people selling their EBT cards are victims themselves, struggling and sometimes using the cash to feed an addiction.
“A lot of times the victims are the people who are getting the cards for food, and they would sell the cards and then get the money and go buy drugs sometimes,” Pritchard said.
As for whether those involved could lose their benefits, Pritchard said that’s possible.
“They can be disqualified and when this happens, that money can go to someone who really needs it,” Pritchard said.
Authorities have not released a dollar amount connected to the fraud or the total number of cards stolen. SPD says the arrests are part of a larger effort to crack down on organized crime.
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The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter Alejandra Guzman.
Crime and Public SafetyChinatown-International District
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