Erie Market Owner Charged with Food Stamp Fraud
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of theft of government property, food stamp fraud and false statement to the government, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The four-count Indictment named Bader Al-Dhumani, 55, of Erie, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment presented to the court, from in and around January 2015 to in and around April 2020, Al-Dhumani, who is the owner and operator of Palm Tree Market in Erie, committed food stamp fraud by accepting food stamps for cash, store credit, and ineligible items.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 25 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Department of Justice
Office of the U.S. Attorney
Western District of Pennsylvania
Source: Justice.gov