A 52-year-old New York retailer has been indicted for allegedly defrauding Ohioans out of more than $125,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
SNAP, formerly called food stamps, is a federal program that provides food benefits to low-income families and seniors to supplement their grocery budget.
This theft was alleged after an investigation by the Ohio Investigative Unit, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and local law enforcement agencies.
Hafedh Al-Gahim’s company, Buffalo Discount Corp., is accused of making more than 370 fraudulent transactions over a five-week period.
Ohio investigative agents determined that all of the transactions they tracked were fraudulent. According to the unit, Ohio EBT card details were being used every 30 to 45 seconds and they accounted for transactions as high as $800.
OIU agents allege that Al-Gahim withdrew large sums of cash and used the proceeds for personal expenses and activities.
The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O'Malley credited the OIU for its investigation into the case in a press statement.
“I applaud the hard work of the Ohio Investigative Unit in their investigation of Hafedh Al-Gahim – which led to this indictment,” he said in a statement. “Our office will hold him accountable, and I urge anyone to report suspicious transactions to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.”
This is not the only case of SNAP fraud in the state.
According to the OIU, Ohio has seen a recent rise in reports of stolen benefits, often due to skimmers. These devices capture card numbers and PINS from cash register terminals.
State officials suggested that SNAP recipients protect their cards by using the EBT card lock and unlock feature.
Ohioans should act now to protect their benefits, urged Matt Damschroder, director of Ohio Department of Job and Family Services .
“Criminals continue to prey on vulnerable Ohioans who rely on food assistance to supplement their monthly grocery costs,” he said in a statement. “SNAP recipients should be vigilant in protecting their benefits by looking for signs of skimming, protecting their EBT card number and PIN, and using tools such as the ConnectEBT app and its 'Lock Everywhere' feature to avoid becoming victims.”
According to the Ohio DJFS, multiple counties have been affected by this type of fraud, including Clark, Butler, Hamilton and Cuyahoga Counties.
The department has issued $12.6 million in reimbursements to more than 25,000 Ohioans between October of 2022 and December of 2024.
Ohio DJFS said it is not able to reissue benefits that were stolen after Dec. 20 2024 because Congress did not renew or extend SNAP Replacement Plan for victims of fraud.
But customers have 90 days from the date of theft to request replacement through March 30.
"Approval will be limited to those who had a loss prior to the end of the continuing resolution," said Tom Betti, the Public Information Program Administrator for Ohio DJFS.
