DANVILLE, Va. (WDBJ) - ROANOKE, Va. – The owner of a seafood restaurant pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Roanoke to defrauding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), by exchanging cash for SNAP benefits.
Acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar announced Bobby Lee James, 69, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of food stamp fraud. When he is sentenced, James faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000. James owns Seafood and More in Danville.
“Societal safety net programs such as SNAP exist to provide vital resources for those in our communities in need, not to line the pockets of fraudsters,” Bubar said. “When individuals defraud these programs, this United States Attorney’s Office, and our state and local partners, will hold them accountable.”
According to court documents from October 2010 to July 2018, SNAP redemptions for Seafood and More exceeded the state average of all other seafood specialty class stores in Virginia by more than $2,465,555, according to Bubar.
Bubar said James admitted he, and others who worked at Seafood and More, redeemed SNAP benefits in exchange for cash between 2010 and 2018. James also admitted he directed his employees to redeem SNAP benefits during the same time period and that he knew what he was doing was wrong. In total, Seafood and More led to $1,835,767 in losses to the SNAP program.
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January 28, 2021 at 05:14AM
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Danville restaurant owner pleads guilty to wire fraud and food stamp fraud - WDBJ
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