A Pittsburgh woman has been sentenced to two years of probation and 90 days of home confinement after pleading guilty to food stamp fraud. Bolaji Michael, 46, was also ordered by United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan to pay more than $54,000 in restitution for her actions.
Michael owned and operated an African food market where she allowed individuals to exchange their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for cash. SNAP benefits are intended solely for the purchase of eligible food items and cannot be legally exchanged for cash. In addition to conducting these exchanges herself, Michael permitted others at her store to do the same, despite knowing it violated program regulations. The court determined that the total monetary loss from this activity amounted to $54,996.05.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole A. Stockey prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Troy Rivetti recognized the investigative work conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and Pennsylvania State Police Organized Crime Unit West, stating: "United States Attorney Rivetti commended the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and Pennsylvania State Police Organized Crime Unit West for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Michael."
