农业部雇员与另外五人被起诉：被指靠卖机密执照号炮制逾6600万美元食品券诈骗
美国纽约州纽约县曼哈顿的纽约南区联邦检察官办公室2025年5月29日宣布，一份替代起诉书已经解封，六人被控参与一个庞大的诈骗与行贿网络，在补充营养援助计划（SNAP，俗称食品券）下制造了逾6,600万美元的未授权交易；检方称，这是美国历史上最大的食品券诈骗案之一。
六名被告是 Michael Kehoe、Mohamad Nawafleh、Omar Alrawashdeh、Gamal Obaid、Emad Alrawashdeh 与 Arlasa Davis。Davis 是农业部雇员，另被控受贿与诚信服务欺诈。本案由联邦地区法官 Jed S. Rakoff 审理。
代行美国检察官职责的 Perry Carbone 说：「Michael Kehoe 及其同谋侵吞了数千万美元本该帮低收入家庭把食物摆上餐桌的纳税人钱财。这桩诈骗之所以能成，是因为农业部雇员 Arlasa Davis 出卖了机密政府信息，卖给了本该由她去抓的那些罪犯。他们的行为破坏了一个脆弱的纽约人赖以获得基本营养的计划。」农业部监察长办公室负责探员 Charmeka Parker 感谢执法伙伴追查涉嫌利用职位参与剥削纳税人计划的政府雇员的指控。联邦调查局纽约外勤办公室助理局长 Christopher G. Raia 说，Davis 被指滥用职位与接触机密政府数据库的特权协助同谋剥削 SNAP 计划、驱动数千万美元诈骗交易，联邦调查局绝不容忍任何人剥削联邦财务援助谋取私利。
起诉书称，SNAP 用联邦税款帮低收入家庭购买食物，受益人用类似借记卡的电子福利转账（EBT）卡在参与商店买食物；商店从农业部取得执照号，用专用 EBT 终端刷卡，系统核验后把相应联邦资金转入商店银行账户。检方指，自2019年起，Kehoe 编织了一个网络，向纽约地区各商店供应约160台未授权的 EBT 终端，非法处理了逾3,000万美元 EBT 交易。他与 Nawafleh、Omar Alrawashdeh、Obaid、Emad Alrawashdeh 一道提交了约200份造假的农业部申请，挪用农业部执照号、有时还篡改申请文件，为包括烟店在内的不合格商家拿到未授权商店的 EBT 终端。
检方称，这套手法关键靠 Davis：她是农业部的长期雇员，恰恰在负责识别 SNAP 诈骗的那个部门工作。她被指滥用接触联邦系统的特权，出售数百个 EBT 执照号，使未授权商店得以完成逾3,600万美元的诈骗性 SNAP 兑付。她被指用个人手机拍下本应发给合格商店的手写执照号清单，交给一名中间人转卖给包括 Nawafleh、两名 Alrawashdeh 与 Obaid 在内的同谋使用；作为回报，她收受了大笔贿赂，在通讯中以「生日礼物」「鲜花」等说法掩饰。
被告年龄与住址为：Kehoe 46岁、住纽约州 Long Island；Nawafleh 34岁、Omar Alrawashdeh 37岁、Obaid 39岁、Emad Alrawashdeh 37岁，均住纽约州 Bronx；Davis 56岁、住纽约州 Gardiner。六人各被控一项共谋窃取政府资金并挪用农业部福利罪（最高5年）、一项窃取政府资金罪（最高10年）与一项挪用农业部福利罪（最高20年）；Davis 另被控共谋受贿（最高5年）、受贿（最高15年）与共谋诚信服务电信欺诈（最高20年）；Nawafleh 另被控一项未出庭罪（最高10年）。法定最高刑由国会规定、仅供参考，具体量刑由法官决定。本案由该办公室一般犯罪组承办，助理联邦检察官 Georgia V. Kostopoulos 与 Joe Zabel 负责起诉，农业部与联邦调查局受表彰并协助调查。替代起诉书中的指控仅为指控，被告在证明有罪之前推定无罪。（来源：美国司法部纽约南区检察官办公室）
USDA Employee and Five Others Charged in Food Stamp Fraud That Generated Over $66 Million in Unauthorized Transactions
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, in Manhattan, New York County, New York, announced on May 29, 2025, the unsealing of a superseding indictment charging six individuals in connection with a sprawling fraud and bribery scheme that generated over $66 million in unauthorized transactions under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known as food stamps. Prosecutors called it one of the largest food stamp frauds in U.S. history.
The defendants are Michael Kehoe, Mohamad Nawafleh, Omar Alrawashdeh, Gamal Obaid, Emad Alrawashdeh and Arlasa Davis. Davis, a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) employee, is additionally charged with bribery and honest services fraud. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff.
"Michael Kehoe and his co-conspirators misappropriated tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer funds meant to help low-income families put food on the table," said Perry Carbone, Attorney for the United States, acting under authority conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515. "This fraud was made possible when USDA employee Arlasa Davis betrayed the public trust by selling confidential government information to the very criminals she was supposed to catch. Their actions undermined a program that vulnerable New Yorkers depend on for basic nutrition." Charmeka Parker, Special Agent in Charge of the USDA Office of Inspector General, thanked law enforcement partners for pursuing allegations against government employees who use their positions in schemes exploiting taxpayer-funded programs. Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's New York Field Office, said Davis allegedly abused her position and privileged access to confidential government databases to assist her co-conspirators in exploiting SNAP, driving tens of millions of dollars in fraudulent transactions, and that the FBI will never tolerate exploitation of federal financial assistance for personal reward.
According to the indictment, SNAP uses federal tax dollars to help low-income households buy food. Recipients use Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, similar to debit cards, at participating stores, which receive license numbers from the USDA and use special EBT terminals; when a card is swiped, the system verifies the transaction and transfers the corresponding federal funds to the store's bank account. Starting in 2019, Kehoe allegedly orchestrated a network that supplied approximately 160 unauthorized EBT terminals to stores across the New York area to illegally process more than $30 million in EBT transactions. Working with Nawafleh, Omar Alrawashdeh, Obaid and Emad Alrawashdeh, he allegedly submitted approximately 200 fraudulent USDA applications, misappropriating USDA license numbers and in some cases doctoring documents, to obtain EBT terminals for unauthorized stores, including smoke shops and other ineligible businesses.
Critical to the scheme, prosecutors say, was Davis, a longtime USDA employee who worked within the very division responsible for identifying SNAP fraud. She allegedly abused her privileged access to federal systems to sell hundreds of EBT license numbers enabling over $36 million in fraudulent SNAP redemptions at unauthorized stores. She allegedly photographed handwritten lists of license numbers intended for qualifying stores with her personal cellphone and funneled them to an intermediary who sold them to co-conspirators including Nawafleh, Omar Alrawashdeh, Emad Alrawashdeh and Obaid. In return, she allegedly received substantial bribes disguised in communications as, among other things, "birthday gifts" and "flowers."
Kehoe, 46, is from Long Island, New York; Nawafleh, 34, Omar Alrawashdeh, 37, Obaid, 39, and Emad Alrawashdeh, 37, are from the Bronx, New York; and Davis, 56, is from Gardiner, New York. Each is charged with one count of conspiracy to steal government funds and misappropriate USDA benefits (maximum five years), one count of theft of government funds (maximum 10 years) and one count of misappropriation of USDA benefits (maximum 20 years). Davis is additionally charged with conspiracy to commit bribery (maximum five years), bribery (maximum 15 years) and conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud (maximum 20 years); Nawafleh is additionally charged with failure to appear (maximum 10 years). The maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided for information only; any sentencing will be determined by the judge. The case is being handled by the office's General Crimes Unit, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Georgia V. Kostopoulos and Joe Zabel in charge of the prosecution; the USDA and the FBI conducted and assisted the investigation. The charges in the superseding indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. (Source: U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York)
来源：美国司法部纽约南区检察官办公室
发布：GSM·美国（发布链接）
图片来源：图：位于华盛顿的美国农业部总部大楼（资料图）。本案被告之一是农业部雇员，案件由该部监察长办公室参与调查。公共领域，经四级固定图库联邦核心包。 / Photo: The U.S. Department of Agriculture headquarters building in Washington, D.C. (file photo). One defendant is a USDA employee and the department's Office of Inspector General took part in the investigation. Public domain, via the federal-core asset pack.
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