A Jackson man pleaded guilty on July 15 in federal court to stealing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits intended for low-income families, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi.
Court documents show that Aljordan Cannon, 28, unlawfully acquired and used $16,968.72 in SNAP benefits between August 12, 2023, and November 19, 2023. Cannon obtained these benefits from his girlfriend Jarane Bines, who at the time was a Customer Service Representative for Conduent. Bines used her position at Conduent—which partners with state governments to manage distribution of benefits such as SNAP—to access and obtain SNAP and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits belonging to recipients across the United States without authorization.
SNAP is a federally funded program designed to help qualifying low- and middle-income families buy food. TANF provides assistance for low-income families with children under age 18. Cannon pleaded guilty to Food Stamp Fraud and is scheduled for sentencing on October 22, where he faces up to 20 years in prison. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge after considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Bines previously pleaded guilty to Food Stamp Fraud on January 23 and was sentenced on April 30 to four years’ probation with 120 days home detention under electronic monitoring; she was also ordered to pay $39,208.53 in restitution.
United States Attorney Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi announced the plea, along with United States Department of Agriculture Inspector General John Walk. The case was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie.
The Southern District of Mississippi includes offices in Jackson, Gulfport, and Hattiesburg; it encompasses 45 counties across approximately 25,000 square miles in southern Mississippi; prosecutes federal crimes; handles civil lawsuits involving the government; collects federal debts; operates under direction from the Attorney General; and is led by its chief federal law enforcement officer, according to the official website.