Rafidi Gets 33 Months for $2.8M Food Stamp Scam

YOUNGSTOWN, OH – George Rafidi, 62, is headed back to prison, this time for 33 months, after being convicted of orchestrating a nearly $2.8 million food stamp fraud scheme at his now-defunct Breaden Market. The sentence, handed down this week, will run *after* Rafidi completes a separate 94-month sentence for assaulting federal agents with a firearm – a brazen act caught on evidence during the initial fraud investigation.

Rafidi, who operated the Breaden Market since 2010, wasn’t just accepting food stamps; he was running a blatant exchange-for-cash operation, according to court documents. The USDA flagged Rafidi’s store after audits revealed it redeemed over ten times the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits of much larger retailers in the Youngstown area. Agents quickly discovered a pattern of illegal activity: food stamps traded for cold, hard cash and used to purchase prohibited items like alcohol and tobacco. Witnesses described lines forming outside the store as people flocked to cash out their benefits.

“This case sends a message that we will not tolerate the criminal abuse of a system designed to help the most vulnerable in our society meet their most basic needs,” stated U.S. Attorney Carole S. Rendon. The sentiment rings hollow for those genuinely relying on SNAP benefits, who were indirectly harmed by Rafidi’s greed. The scale of the fraud – $2.8 million – points to a calculated and prolonged effort to exploit the system.

Anthony V. Mohatt, Special Agent in Charge of the USDA-OIG, emphasized the broader impact of such crimes. “SNAP is the largest program in the domestic hunger safety net, and retailers who prey on the poor by illegally purchasing SNAP benefits erode public trust in the program,” he said. The USDA’s Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation, working alongside federal and state law enforcement partners.

The punishment doesn’t end with the prison sentence. Rafidi has been ordered to pay nearly $2.8 million in restitution to cover the fraudulent losses. Authorities also seized more than $23,000 in cash linked to the scheme. But Rafidi wasn’t the only one facing consequences. A store clerk and 29 food stamp recipients, each having received at least $5,000 in cash for their benefits, were also prosecuted for their involvement.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys David M. Toepfer and Benedict S. Gullo successfully prosecuted the case, bringing a measure of justice to a cynical scheme that preyed on the needy. The investigation and prosecution serve as a stark reminder that those who exploit federal assistance programs will face the full force of the law, even if it means adding years to an already lengthy prison stay.