WICHITA – A Wichita couple that owned a grocery store and a food stamp recipient have pleaded guilty to food stamp fraud.
Entering guilty pleas were 46-year-old Muhammad Qadeer Akram, the former owner of Alnoor Grocery Store, 5220 E. 21st in Wichita. He entered a plea to one count of conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud, one count of food stamp fraud and one count of wire fraud.
38-year-old Shama L. Qadeer, Muhammad Qadeer Akram’s wife, who was a co-owner of the grocery store, and she entered pleas to one count of conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud, one count of food stamp fraud and one count of wire fraud.
28-year-old Tequita L. Higgins of Wichita entered a plea to one count of food stamp fraud.
In their pleas, they admitted to entering into a conspiracy with others to defraud the United States Department of Agriculture by giving cash to recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, more commonly known as food stamps, in exchange for SNAP benefits. The scheme was to give SNAP recipients cash for their benefits, about 50-to-60 cents on the dollar, and keep the rest of the benefits for themselves.
They would run SNAP transactions to make it appear SNAP benefits were being used to purchase approved food items at their store. In one instance, on Nov. 5, 2010, they gave a SNAP recipient about $150 in cash in return for SNAP benefits totaling $308.79.
In another instance, $503.33 was credited to their account for a SNAP transaction. They gave the SNAP recipient $250 and falsified reports to make it appear the recipient had purchased approved food items. The indictment alleges $450,000 in similar transactions.
In her plea, Higgins admitted using her Vision card at Alnoor Groceries. She received about $150 in cash in return for a $308.79 SNAP transaction.
Sentencing is set for Dec. 7, and for conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud, they face a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to 250-thousand dollars. For food stamp fraud, they face a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison without parole and 250-thousand dollar fine. And, for wire fraud, they face a maximum penalty of 20-years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to 100-thousand dollars.