"Jesula Variety Store's monthly SNAP redemptions "regularly exceeded" $100,000 and reached $500,000 at times, prosecutors said. By comparison, a supermarket in the same area redeems closer to $82,000 in monthly benefits. Transactional data from the two stores allegedly showed that only about 10 percent of SNAP transactions were for amounts under $40 and more than 70 percent exceeded $95. These types of transactions are typical for large supermarkets but not for small variety stores, prosecutors said."
"Two Boston men are facing fraud charges after they allegedly trafficked nearly $7 million worth of SNAP benefits, according to federal prosecutors. Antonio Bonheur, 74, of Mattapan, and Saul Alisme, 24, of Hyde Park, were each charged Wednesday with one count of food stamp fraud, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts said in a statement. The two men allegedly schemed to fraudulently obtain SNAP benefits through the retail stores they operated."
Antonio Bonheur, 74, and Saul Alisme, 24, were charged with one count of food stamp fraud for allegedly trafficking nearly $7 million in SNAP benefits. Each operated a small retail store in the same Mattapan building at 1549 Blue Hill Ave: Jesula Variety Store and Saul Mache Mixe Store. Jesula began accepting SNAP benefits in September 2021; Saul Mache Mixe began in May 2025. Both stores showed extraordinarily high SNAP redemption rates and monthly averages far exceeding similar businesses of the same size and location. Transactional data showed only about 10 percent of SNAP transactions were under $40 and more than 70 percent exceeded $95. Undercover investigations allegedly recorded benefits trafficked for cash multiple times at both stores.
Read at Boston.com
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