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Defendant Ordered to Pay $1.55 Million in Restitution
Raul Carlos Monarca-Gonzalez, a 40-year-old man from Waterbury, Connecticut, has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for his role in a massive food stamp fraud scheme. According to court documents, Monarca-Gonzalez worked at WB Trade Fair Grocery, located at 43 Willow Street in Waterbury, where he and others allowed customers to redeem their food stamp benefits for cash and other ineligible items.
Between November 2014 and June 2016, Monarca-Gonzalez and his co-conspirators illegally allowed customers to redeem their food stamp benefits for approximately $3.2 million, despite the store’s annual redemptions being capped at $120,000 to $240,000. The scheme was uncovered in August 2016, and Monarca-Gonzalez was arrested and charged with one count of unlawful use of food stamp benefits and one count of conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud.
On November 28, 2016, Monarca-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to the charges and was subsequently sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant. In addition to his 30-month prison sentence, Monarca-Gonzalez was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,550,756. He has been detained since his arrest in August 2016.
As a result of his conviction, Monarca-Gonzalez faces immigration proceedings at the conclusion of his prison term. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anastasia King and Neeraj Patel prosecuted the matter.
Monarca-Gonzalez’s sentence serves as a warning to those who would attempt to exploit the food stamp program for personal gain. The program is designed to provide essential nutrition assistance to low-income households, and those who abuse it will be held accountable.
As part of the program’s rules, SNAP benefits may not be exchanged for cash, and ineligible items such as alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, and paper goods cannot be purchased with food stamp benefits. The U.S. government has a zero-tolerance policy for food stamp fraud, and those found guilty will face severe consequences.
Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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