EAST ST. LOUIS, Illinois — The verdict is in for a man in Swansea, Illinois, who was accused of taking $1.2 million in government benefits.
Almahde Nijmeh, 65, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawfully obtaining Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits (SNAP) in August of 2023.
According to the United States Department of Justice, he was sentenced to five years in prison and two years on supervised release. Nijmeh also has to repay the government more than $1.2 million.
“Millions of Americans rely on SNAP benefits to provide nutritious food for their families, but individuals who misuse the program to commit fraud and enrich themselves are breaking federal law,” U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe said in a press release.
Nijmeh had been disqualified from SNAP in the past. He regained access to the program by using various family members' names.
From August 2017 to November 2021, Nijmeh used East Side Meat Market in East St. Louis to accept SNAP cards loaded with benefits in exchange for cash and other ineligible items, according to court documents.
Nijmeh and employees under his direction also accepted SNAP benefits for other ineligible items such as tobacco products and alcohol. Sometimes, they would up-charge customers during the illicit deal.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Illinois Department of Revenue contributed to solving this case.
