https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/3425931072122654177/2270521656260303923

Eight people have been indicted for conspiring to steal more than $7 million from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”) between April 2023 and September 2025. 

The alleged fraud impacted thousands of victims, many of whom never received reimbursement for the stolen benefits. 

Belal Hauter, 34, allegedly led the conspiracy by opening or directing coconspirators to open numerous merchant processing accounts in the names of various delis, bodegas, or grocery stores, including a deli where multiple defendants worked. The co-conspirators also opened numerous bank accounts to connect to those processing accounts, so EBT transactions went directly to accounts under their control.

Gregory Fabiani, 46, and Abdulla Aezah, 35, helped open the accounts and provided technical back-end support for the use of those accounts and the POS machines.

Others used the POS machines to conduct thousands of transactions.

Finally, Milton Rios, 53, and Yvette Rivera, 58, also opened additional merchant processing accounts and bank accounts for the conspiracy.

They are charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with conspiracy in the fourth degree, as well as various counts of grand larceny and identity theft.

 “SNAP and EBT fraud harms New Yorkers in need of assistance and the New Yorkers whose tax dollars fund these essential programs,” said District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. “As alleged, this conspiracy created fraudulent merchant processing accounts for fraudulent delis and paid themselves by repeatedly swiping stolen EBT cards at point-of-sale systems associated with those accounts. The defendants allegedly tracked the timing of benefit funds and drained accounts before the legitimate SNAP recipient could buy food and other necessities, eventually stealing more than $7 million. I thank our law enforcement partners at DOI for their work in putting a stop to this fraud.”