Former Worcester business owner pleads guilty to $3.6M in fraud
Photo Courtesy U.S. District Court
A former Worcester business owner pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Worcester on Tuesday in connection with a $3.6 million food stamp fraud scheme that she operated out of her convenience store.
Vida Ofori Causey, 45, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit SNAP benefits fraud, one count of SNAP fraud, and one count of money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for March 2, 2016, according to a release from U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz. The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, provides eligible households with government subsidies for certain foodstuffs, and allows holders to exchange their SNAP benefits for food at authorized retail food stores.
During the course of the four-year conspiracy, Causey defrauded the USDA of approximately $3,638,900 in SNAP funds, according to the release.
Causey was the owner and operator of J&W Aseda Plaza, a convenience store on Main Street in Worcester. From April 2010 to October 2014, Causey reportedly conspired with others to commit SNAP fraud by purchasing SNAP benefits from recipients rather than exchanging them for food, according to the U.S. attorney’s release. Causey purchased the benefits at a discounted value of approximately fifty cents for every SNAP dollar.
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