Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
The owner of a small convenience store in Boston, Antonio Bonheur, pleaded guilty on Mar. 30 to food stamp fraud and wire fraud after authorities said he obtained millions of dollars in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits through fraudulent means. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for July 8, while Bonheur agreed to forfeit nearly $400,000 seized during the investigation.
The case is significant because it highlights concerns about the abuse of public assistance programs designed to help those in need. According to prosecutors, Bonheur’s Jesula Variety Store—occupying just 150 square feet—redeemed between $100,000 and $500,000 per month in SNAP benefits, far surpassing full-service supermarkets that typically redeem around $82,000 monthly.
Authorities said transaction data revealed that more than 70% of SNAP transactions at Jesula Variety Store exceeded $95 each—patterns more typical of large supermarkets rather than small variety stores with limited inventory. Undercover operations found that Bonheur exchanged SNAP benefits for cash on four occasions and sold liquor using SNAP funds.
Additionally, investigators discovered that Bonheur sold MannaPack meals donated by Feed My Starving Children—a product intended exclusively for overseas humanitarian relief—for about $8 per package at his store. Prosecutors said these meals are never authorized for retail sale and are paid for entirely by charitable donations.
Despite receiving millions from SNAP redemptions annually through his business, Bonheur also received a personal SNAP card from the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance after making false statements regarding his income and assets during the application process. Authorities allege he used multiple secondary bank accounts to disguise the origin of these funds as legitimate business revenue.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the charges along with officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Mallard is prosecuting the case.
Bonheur faces up to 20 years in prison on each count as well as possible fines up to $250,000 per charge if convicted under federal sentencing guidelines.
