Man uses more than 1,200 SNAP benefit cards to steal $1.5 million in groceries, feds say
An Illinois man stole more than $1.5 million in benefits from a federal program meant to provide food assistance for peopl with low income, prosecutors said.
David Quinones, 44, of Chicago pleaded guilty Feb. 11 to a wire fraud charge in connection with the scheme, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.
McClatchy News reached out to Quinones’ attorney Feb. 19 for comment but did not immediately hear back.
According to a plea agreement, Quinones paid people enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in cash or goods in exchange for access to their benefit cards and identification, prosecutors said.
Quinones posed as those people to buy goods from authorized SNAP retailers, then resold the items and kept the proceeds, according to court records.
Quinones “used more than 1,200 cards and fraudulently caused the USDA to pay out approximately $1,554,804 in SNAP benefits,” prosecutors said in the release.
It is against the law for SNAP recipients to sell their benefits for money or other items, according to the USDA.
Quinones faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, court records show. His sentencing is scheduled for June 18.
This story was originally published February 19, 2025 at 1:55 PM with the headline "Man uses more than 1,200 SNAP benefit cards to steal $1.5 million in groceries, feds say."
