LYNCHBURG, Va. – Rajan Babbar, 59, owner of Taste of India, a local grocery store, has been slammed with federal charges for alleged food stamp and wire fraud, totaling $383K.
Babbar is accused of exploiting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps, by falsifying transactions at his store. The indictment asserts that Babbar exchanged SNAP benefits for cash, falsely ringing up transactions for non-existent items, and then providing cash payouts for roughly half the value of the SNAP benefits.
The grand jury’s accusations claim that SNAP sales at Taste of India saw a staggering surge starting in 2021, jumping from an average monthly total of $5,324 between 2018-2020 to over $60,385 per month in 2023 and 2024. The grand jury has leveled charges against Babbar for one count of SNAP benefits fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and four counts of transacting in criminally derived property.
According to the indictment, Babbar initially applied to become a SNAP retailer in December 2016, which was approved by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service. However, it is alleged that the surge in SNAP sales was fraudulent, with Babbar allowing individuals to cash in their benefits.
United States Attorney C. Todd Gilbert, along with Charmeka Parker and Stephen Farina from the USDA-OIG and FBI respectively, announced the charges against Babbar. The investigation into this case involves the USDA-OIG, FBI, and Lynchburg Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Brett prosecuting.
As per legal protocol, an indictment is just an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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