A six-count indictment was filed in federal court charging three brothers for their roles in a $4 million food stamp fraud conspiracy operated through their Cleveland business, law officials said.
Mohammad H. Mohammad, 52, of Parma, Omar H. Mohammad, 49, of Parma, and Rashid H. Mohammad, 53, of Strongsville, were the brothers charged in the case. They were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud, one count of food stamp fraud, and one count of unlawful redemption of food stamps, officials said.
It was reported that Mohammad Mohammad also faces three additional counts of engaging in financial transactions with proceeds from specified unlawful activity.
According to officials, the brothers and others conspired to commit more than $4 million in food stamp fraud through their business Holyland Imported Goods, located at 11717 Lorain Ave. This all took place between 2003 and 2015, according to the indictment.
An investigation revealed the brothers and others used their business to exchange customer food stamps for cash and other unauthorized items. The brothers would use the food stamp cards at grocery stores to purchase inventory for Holyland, the indictment stated.
The indictment seeks to recover $4 million, including nearly $900,000 that was seized from various bank accounts.
“For more than a decade, these defendants have been cheating the taxpayers by illegally accepting food stamp cards they knew didn’t belong to the card holder, and accepting food stamps for prohibited items, including tobacco and prepared food for resale at restaurants,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Carole S. Rendon. “We will continue to prosecute violations of the food stamp program, which is designed to help the most vulnerable in our community, not enrich those who prey on them.”
“This investigation and prosecution should send a strong zero-tolerance message to those individuals who attempt to defraud U.S. Department of Agriculture programs,” said Anthony V. Mohatt, Special Agent in Charge, USDA-OIG-Investigations. “It should also serve as a warning to all that fraud will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted by the USDA-OIG, the U.S. Attorney's Office, and all its federal, state, and local partners that have a stake in ensuring that fraud is eliminated from taxpayer funded programs.”
“The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program was designed to help the men, women and children of Cleveland with the purchase of eligible items, not to be used for the purchase of unauthorized items or to be exchanged for cash,” said Guy A. Ficco, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to unraveling complex financial transactions and money laundering schemes where individuals attempt to conceal the true source of their money.”
“The Mohammad’s engaged in millions of dollars of fraud targeting federal government food assistance programs in order to line their pockets,” said Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland Office. “Driven by their greed, they showed a complete disregard for those who were truly in need.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christos N. Georgalis, M. Kendra Klump and Phillip J. Tripi after an investigation by agents of the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General-Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Ohio Department of Public Safety and the Lakewood Police Department.
