Arlasa Davis, SNAP Fraud & Bribery, New York 2024

USDA Employee Sentenced for SNAP Fraud and Bribery Scheme

Arlasa DAVIS, a 56-year-old resident of Gardiner, New York, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for her role in a multimillion-dollar SNAP fraud and bribery scheme.

According to the indictment, DAVIS worked within the USDA division responsible for identifying SNAP fraud. She abused her privileged access to federal systems to sell hundreds of Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) license numbers to co-conspirators.

DAVIS photographed handwritten lists of license numbers intended for qualifying stores with her personal cellphone and funneled them to an intermediary who sold them to co-conspirators, who in turn used those license numbers to fraudulently obtain EBT terminals for stores that were not authorized by the USDA to process SNAP transactions.

In return, DAVIS received substantial bribes that were disguised in communications as, among other things, “birthday gifts” and “flowers.”

DAVIS previously pled guilty to bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, who imposed today’s sentence.

Arlasa DAVIS, Bribery and Conspiracy to Commit Bribery, New York, May 8, 2024 – 24 months in prison, 2 years of supervised release, $48,470 forfeiture, $36 million restitution.

Mr. Buckley praised the outstanding investigative efforts of the USDA Office of Inspector General and the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

This matter is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Georgia V. Kostopoulos and Joe Zabel are in charge of the prosecution.

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