BROOK PARK, OH – Three men from Brook Park are facing federal charges after allegedly bilking the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – better known as food stamps – out of a staggering $2 million. The scheme, prosecutors say, involved trading benefits for ineligible items like beer and cigarettes at four Cleveland stores.
Saed (Sam) Wahdan, 41, his brother Maher (Mario) Wahdan, 42, and Nidal Jaber, 45, were each indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud, one count of food stamp fraud, and two counts of unlawful redemption of food stamps. Maher Wahdan faces an additional count of theft of public funds, adding to the severity of the accusations.
“The food stamp program has provided nutritious food to thousands of hungry families over the years,” stated Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. “We will continue to work to recover money stolen from the program and eradicate waste, fraud and abuse of government programs.” The investigation, led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General-Investigations and Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, uncovered a systematic operation spanning from January 2008 to March 2012.
The alleged fraud took place at four locations: One Stop Beverage (5105 Franklin Blvd.), Bridge Deli and Beverage (4700 Bridge Ave.), Franklin Beverage and Deli (4719 Franklin Blvd.), and Scott Food Mart (951 Linn Drive). According to the indictment, the Wahdans owned and operated all four stores, but deliberately concealed their ownership by putting the businesses in the names of others. This was done, prosecutors claim, to hide the fact that both Saed Wahdan and Maher Wahdan had prior convictions – Saed for food stamp trafficking and Maher for impersonating an officer – which would have disqualified them from participating in the SNAP program.
The indictment details how the defendants allegedly exchanged customer food stamps for cash and unauthorized goods. They also purportedly purchased food stamp cards from customers at a discount, then used those cards at other grocery stores to purchase inventory for their businesses and even for personal expenses. Federal authorities are now seeking to forfeit properties linked to the alleged scheme, including locations at 9604 Dennison Ave., 3353 West 44th Street, 3374 West 130th Street, 1452 West 75th Street, and 951 Linn Drive.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christos N. Georgalis, Vasile Katsaros, and James Morford are prosecuting the case. It’s important to remember that an indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Sentencing, should they be convicted, will be determined by the court based on individual factors, prior criminal history, and the nature of the offenses. The statutory maximum penalties apply, but sentences are often less than the maximum.
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Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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