Hundreds nabbed for food stamp fraud in Butler County

By Lauren Pack

Staff Writer

BUTLER COUNTY —

An investigation launched from suspicion that Butler County’s skyrocketing food assistance dollars may be attributed in part to fraud, abuse and misuse has resulted in the arrest of hundreds and a taxpayer savings of $5.2 million since July 2012.

About $6.6 million is distributed monthly in Butler County via the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps. In the past 18 months, $5.25 million has been saved by catching intentional program violators, according to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.

The operation, manned by two sheriff’s detectives with help of state and federal agencies including the Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, netted 116 violators between July 2012 and June 2013 and 100 from July to December 2013.

“It’s the tip of the iceberg,” said Sgt. Jason Rosser, a sheriff’s detective assigned to the operation.

While benefits fraud is not a new crime, the lingering dismal economy and drug abuse, particularly heroin, has turned it into an epidemic, according to Sheriff Richard K. Jones. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said that food stamp fraud totals $750 million each year.

Among the 216 arrests was a woman living in a $300,000 home in Fairfield Twp.’s Walden Ponds subdivision. The woman was using her son’s SNAP card for groceries while he was in jail.

“Her excuse was he told her to use the card because it was going to expire. She said she was buying items for her son to use when he got out,” Rosser said. “He went to prison for three years. I am thinking the milk won’t be good when he gets out.”

SNAP benefits can only be used to buy foods to eat, such as:

breads and cereal
fruits and vegetables
meats, fish and poultry
dairy products
seeds and plants to produce food

SNAP benefits cannot be used to buy:

Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco
Any nonfood items, such as pet foods, soaps, paper products, diapers, and household supplies
Vitamins and medicines

Another woman was arrested after she used a neighbor’s card to purchase two gallons of milk for her cat. She told detectives it was going to “starve to death.”

The Butler County operation also uncovered drug addicts trading their SNAP cards for heroin.

“They didn’t want to eat, they wanted caps of heroin,” Rosser said.

Some also offered to sell their benefits for 50 cents on the dollar, and Rosser said it happens on street corners, in homes and even at the grocery store.

“Someone sees a person in a store pushing a cart load of groceries and goes up and and says, ‘Give me $100 for this card. It has $200 on it,’ ” Rosser said. That cash, he said, is then used to buy drugs or items not permitted with assistance funds, including alcohol and cigarettes.

The investigation also uncovered retailers who buy cards or allow people to purchase unauthorized items.

A Fairfield gas station owner purchased a SNAP card, then went into a large grocery store and used it to purchases cases of beverages, which he then sold at his gas station, Rosser said.

“You could see the people who sold the card helping him load the stuff in the back of the car,” Rosser said.

Of the 216 violators, 124 have been given administrative waivers, which means they have been booted from the benefits systems for a year. Others have been sentenced or are facing a fifth-degree felony charge. Fifty-one have received a lifetime ban from the benefits program as a result of their conviction.

Sheriff Richard Jones and county Commissioner Don Dixon, who began the investigation discussions in early 2012, say the program is one of the first in the state.

“There are others out there copying our program,” Jones said, adding the investigation unit is having an impact.

“These people are taking it away from those who really need it,” Jones said. “If you are using these cards for fraud, you will end up in my jail.”

Dixon said a crime that “was not secret” has been spotlighted by the investigation.

“It was common knowledge what was going on, but everybody was kind of walking around it. This is doing something about it,” said Dixon. “You know it’s just not fair to the people out there who work hard to pay the bills, when they see people cheating the system while they do without.”

A contract between Butler County Job and Family Services, the prosecutor’s office and the sheriff’s office for $136,000 pays for the operation and job and family services is working to fund a third officer this year.

“We are very pleased with the success,” said Jerome Kearns, job and family services director. “It has been a huge return on our investment.”

He added the investigation has targeted an area where they didn’t have the resources to tackle.

Rosser said word has gotten around about the investigation and is likely helping deter some.

“I was on Heaton Avenue the other day a woman yelled out ‘there’s the food stamp guy’,” he said.



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HJah! That's Butler County Ohio - House Speaker Boehner's district aka Capital of Federal Pork projects. He complains about the welfare/nanny state and can't even police his own back yard. Too funny1

Boner Doner Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> HJah! That's Butler County Ohio - House Speaker
> Boehner's district aka Capital of Federal Pork
> projects. He complains about the welfare/nanny
> state and can't even police his own back yard.
> Too funny1

By the same logic should we hold Gerry ConMan accountable for food stamp fraud in Fairfax? Noticed the driving force behind this is Sheriff Richard K. Jones of Butler County.

ILSJ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> SNAP benefits can only be used to buy foods to
> eat, such as:


> seeds and plants to produce food


Do many people on government assistance have gardens and grow their own food?



> SNAP benefits cannot be used to buy:

> Vitamins and medicines


I can understand not being able to use a food assistance program on medication, but vitamins? A multi-vitamin once a day goes a long way, and they aren't that expensive.

This doesnt even scratch the surface of the fraud that's going on with the welfare leechs.

I was at 7-11 and a tax leech bought a pizza and hotdogs with his SNAP card then paid for a 12 pack of bud with cash. Fucking piece of shit.

LOL @ there's the food stamp guy

eesh Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ILSJ Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > SNAP benefits can only be used to buy foods to
> > eat, such as:
>
>
> > seeds and plants to produce food
>
>
> Do many people on government assistance have
> gardens and grow their own food?
>

A lot of this area is rural and planting gardens and canning produce is very common.

In theory someone could buy seeds with their SNAP card and then run a business growing produce and selling it at a farmers' market.

That's probably way too much effort for some on food stamps though lol

Of all the causes you could pursue.. $5 million is merely a drop in the bucket.

You want a real scandal? Look up the Libor scandal where bankers screwed YOU out of $42 trillion (with a T). But that won't catch that many headlines... it's not as easy to provoke such simple emotion...

You actually have to read, comprehend and think for that. It's tough.

DddPK Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I was at 7-11 and a tax leech bought a pizza and
> hotdogs with his SNAP card then paid for a 12 pack
> of bud with cash. Fucking piece of shit.


Jeez, you'd think he'd have to the decency to drive down the street to the next convenience store.

eesh Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In theory someone could buy seeds with their SNAP
> card and then run a business growing produce and
> selling it at a farmers' market.

Do you actually believe SNAP recipients have any interest whatsoever in starting a business which would require them to actually do some work?

Their focus is the next 6 pack or the next crack rock.

Well since there is a lot of fraud it could be that a lot of them don't actually do crack ; )

Rockhound Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Of all the causes you could pursue.. $5 million is
> merely a drop in the bucket.
>



This is local government, so five million dollars is a huge amount of money.

People eating loud food when you're trying to sleep is irritating..

Rockhound Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Of all the causes you could pursue.. $5 million is
> merely a drop in the bucket.
>
> You want a real scandal? Look up the Libor scandal
> where bankers screwed YOU out of $42 trillion
> (with a T). But that won't catch that many
> headlines... it's not as easy to provoke such
> simple emotion...
>
> You actually have to read, comprehend and think
> for that. It's tough.


No they've been told to blame minorities and the poor for their economic ill's. So you have wierd Republicans doing just that. Going after a program worth 40 billion that feeds people. Rather than being to comprehend anything more complex.

Gerrymanderer2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> >
> No they've been told to blame minorities and the
> poor for their economic ill's. .

They arent to blame for the economic ills, they are the result. The problem is once you start giving handouts, it's pretty hard to stop the cycle. Kind of like feeding a stray cat, they always come back for more.

Stabitha Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> They arent to blame for the economic ills, they
> are the result. The problem is once you start
> giving handouts, it's pretty hard to stop the
> cycle. Kind of like feeding a stray cat, they
> always come back for more.


There is a lot of irony in that post...

I agree, however... if you concentrate all your efforts on the result... you'll never solve the actual problem.

Rockhound Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Of all the causes you could pursue.. $5 million is
> merely a drop in the bucket.
>
> You want a real scandal? Look up the Libor scandal
> where bankers screwed YOU out of $42 trillion
> (with a T). But that won't catch that many
> headlines... it's not as easy to provoke such
> simple emotion...
>
> You actually have to read, comprehend and think
> for that. It's tough.

Exactly! Who's the tax director for GE who was involved in the Libor scandal? Hmmmmmmm, last name Lanza first name Peter. Adam Lanza's father. Adam was setup and used. He didn't shoot anybody. Peter hasn't said a word.

The poor aren't poor because they get food stamps. They're poor because the rich need workers at low wages and fight to increase disparity. They're poor because there has been a class war and the rich have been winning that war. If you cut off food stamps the poor will not be rich over night because of it.

We have serious deficiencies in our education system. Serious problems with increasing disparity in America. If you really do care about ending poverty that's one thing. But don't cloak racist and classist supremicism as some how being the mechanism to end poverty.

The party of stupid people beholden to the rich doubles down.

There's one problem though with it. The rich want immigration reform. That doesn't fit well with the blame minorities thing. And the rich aren't playing around either. They don't care about your Tea Party trash either. So we'll see how far your dumb ass rhetoric of no progress just division goes.

Rockhound Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Of all the causes you could pursue.. $5 million is
> merely a drop in the bucket.
>
> You want a real scandal? Look up the Libor scandal
> where bankers screwed YOU out of $42 trillion
> (with a T). But that won't catch that many
> headlines... it's not as easy to provoke such
> simple emotion...
>
> You actually have to read, comprehend and think
> for that. It's tough.

How about reading and comprehending the OP instead of trying to deflect?

Also... Remember the nanny killer in NYC a couple years ago?

The dead kids' father was an NBC executive who had printed the first mainstream media article on the Libor scandal... He printed that article just a few hours before two of his kids were found dead at his home. Even talking about the Libor scandal is risky business.

Rockhound Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Also... Remember the nanny killer in NYC a couple
> years ago?
>
> The dead kids' father was an NBC executive who had
> printed the first mainstream media article on the
> Libor scandal... He printed that article just a
> few hours before two of his kids were found dead
> at his home. Even talking about the Libor scandal
> is risky business.

Are you incapable of staying on topic? You can always start a Libor thread.

another reason why drug testing should be done on anyone getting any type of govt assistance. im sick and tired of seeing people in ffx, living in section 8, recieving food stamps, then driving around in a bmw, mercedes, or lexus, that cost more than all of my cars put together. meanwhile my tax dollars are paying for them to survive, but i have to work my ass off to pay for those lazy fucks to do nothing. thanks obama, whta are you going to give them for free next?

ILSJ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Rockhound Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Also... Remember the nanny killer in NYC a
> couple
> > years ago?
> >
> > The dead kids' father was an NBC executive who
> had
> > printed the first mainstream media article on
> the
> > Libor scandal... He printed that article just a
> > few hours before two of his kids were found
> dead
> > at his home. Even talking about the Libor
> scandal
> > is risky business.
>
> Are you incapable of staying on topic? You can
> always start a Libor thread.


No, brainwashed idiots like Rock and Gerry aren't capable of staying on any topic which undercuts anything within their belief system. It's a standard pattern of deflection demonstrated many times over by those like them on both the left and right. If these dumbshits want to explore a conspiracy, then they should look to how they're manipulated into believing some of the bullshit they do.

Pennies compared to the political and corporate fraud perpetrated every day. Take your "Fredom" Corporation dumping poison into the waters of WV! Now thats real freedom!

FDR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Pennies compared to the political and corporate
> fraud perpetrated every day. Take your "Fredom"
> Corporation dumping poison into the waters of WV!
> Now thats real freedom!

Freedom is not having to rely on food stamp fraud to support your bad habits.

Gerrymanderer2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> >
> We have serious deficiencies in our education
> system. Serious problems with increasing
> disparity in America. If you really do care about
> ending poverty that's one thing. But don't cloak
> racist and classist supremicism as some how being
> the mechanism to end poverty.
>
>
Fuck you you fucking douche bag libretard. Just one example to sink your fail boat.

====================================================================================================

"You would think $30,000 a year would get you a decent education. For just a few thousand more, you could cover the cost of Harvard’s yearly undergraduate tuition or send your child to the prestigious Sidwell Friends School, which the Obama daughters attend.

But spending $30,000 to cover the cost of a child’s education in a District of Columbia that has one of the lowest graduation rates in the nation and produces some of the country’s lowest achievement scores? Seems a bit steep. But this is the hefty per-pupil bill taxpayers are made to foot for D.C. public schools every year.

Despite this astounding price tag—$29,409 for the 2009–2010 school year, to be exact, compared to the national average of just under $12,500 (both figures are total expenditures calculated on a per-pupil basis, including capital outlays)—the graduation rate for D.C. students hovers around 60 percent, well below the nationwide average of 74 percent. Math and reading scores are also among the lowest in the country.

DddPK Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I was at 7-11 and a tax leech bought a pizza and
> hotdogs with his SNAP card then paid for a 12 pack
> of bud with cash. Fucking piece of shit.

If he's drinking bud he must be on the skids. Corona on payday when you get your cash under the table.

Okay so DC has some issues with its school system that need resolving. And since you are counting every pennymof administrative costs you should deduct returning revenue from taxes and sales of items, fund raisers and partnerships with businesses.

But anyways, wtf was your point again?

Stabitha Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Gerrymanderer2 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > >
> > We have serious deficiencies in our education
> > system. Serious problems with increasing
> > disparity in America. If you really do care
> about
> > ending poverty that's one thing. But don't
> cloak
> > racist and classist supremicism as some how
> being
> > the mechanism to end poverty.
> >
> >
> Fuck you you fucking douche bag libretard. Just
> one example to sink your fail boat.
>
> ==================================================
> ==================================================
>
>
> "You would think $30,000 a year would get you a
> decent education. For just a few thousand more,
> you could cover the cost of Harvard’s yearly
> undergraduate tuition or send your child to the
> prestigious Sidwell Friends School, which the
> Obama daughters attend.
>
> But spending $30,000 to cover the cost of a
> child’s education in a District of Columbia that
> has one of the lowest graduation rates in the
> nation and produces some of the country’s lowest
> achievement scores? Seems a bit steep. But this is
> the hefty per-pupil bill taxpayers are made to
> foot for D.C. public schools every year.
>
> Despite this astounding price tag—$29,409 for
> the 2009–2010 school year, to be exact, compared
> to the national average of just under $12,500
> (both figures are total expenditures calculated on
> a per-pupil basis, including capital
> outlays)—the graduation rate for D.C. students
> hovers around 60 percent, well below the
> nationwide average of 74 percent. Math and reading
> scores are also among the lowest in the country.


You called me a libtard to copy and paste something? Do you have a point so I can slap your bitch ass around a little?

Gerrymanderer2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> >
> But anyways, wtf was your point again?

$29,409 -vs- $12,500

That's my point. Dont blame it on no money being spent. The problem is little nigger kids coming from homes where they are taught to be thugs starting at age 3 will never be successful in education even if you spent $1 million per kid!

And I called you a libRETARD. Seems more appropriate.

So what should we do? Whats your fucking point. Not send black kids to school? Whats your point you stupid fuck.

My point is dont use lack of education funding as an excuse for poor education.

And yes, I believe sending some of these animals to school is a complete waste of time and taxpayer dollars. Spend it on kids who want to learn and make something out of themselves besides a drug dealer or a rapper.

And you are especially clueless today Gerry. Miss your nap?

Increased funding? Nobody said anything about increased funding. We were talking about jobs and by education dificiencies I was referring to higher education.

Are you debating whatever convienent dillusion lets you spew nonsensical racist rants?

You truly are a worthless piece of shit and a waste of time aren't you?

This is what you said......"We have serious deficiencies in our education
system". I dont see any reference to higher education. Besides, higher education is a moot point if the stupid negroes cant even graduate high school

Now youre just adding shit to backtrack your argument.

You're an idiot that only thinks in terms of black and white.

All u whites can eat shit. Nigga gotta eat.

Gerrymanderer2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You're an idiot that only thinks in terms of black
> and white.

Who do you think occupies DC schools?

Butler County, Ohio is 91% white.

Its best to ignore the dumb racist with tunnel vision

Gerrymanderer2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Its best to ignore the dumb racist with tunnel
> vision

Then why are you here?

The big corporate graft is the 3 trillion dollars in corporate profits sitting untaxed, pretending to be held offshore when they're invested in domestic funds.

Dexter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> People eating loud food when you're trying to
> sleep is irritating..



The worst is when you are in a theater and someone is shaking their popcorn bag and chomping on it through the whole movie. Eat one piece at a time, it's not a feeding trough.

eesh Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dexter Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > People eating loud food when you're trying to
> > sleep is irritating..
>
>
>
> The worst is when you are in a theater and someone
> is shaking their popcorn bag and chomping on it
> through the whole movie. Eat one piece at a time,
> it's not a feeding trough.


I bet you eat one piece at a time with such elegance.

Gerrymanderer2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> I bet you eat one piece at a time with such
> elegance.




That I do. I make each piece soft with my saliva before I chew.

You suck on it a little too?

Gerrymanderer2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Its best to ignore the dumb racist with tunnel
> vision


gERRY tARD getting pwnd once again. Typical of liberals. They can only fail.
Liberals faced with facts.
Attachments:

Hussein Obama- Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Gerrymanderer2 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Its best to ignore the dumb racist with tunnel
> > vision
>
>
> gERRY tARD getting pwnd once again. Typical of
> liberals. They can only fail.
> Liberals faced with facts.


dude your gifs suck and you're borderline retarded. dumb shit.

Gerrymanderer2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Its best to ignore the dumb racist with tunnel
> vision

Gerry said 2 or 3 weeks ago he was going to ignore me and since that time he has done nothing but stalk post me all over FU. He is not a man of his word and should not be trusted. I think he has some undiagnosed mental issues working in concert with his libretardness.

You must be corrected...

Stabitha Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Gerrymanderer2 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Its best to ignore the dumb racist with tunnel
> > vision
>
> Gerry said 2 or 3 weeks ago he was going to ignore
> me and since that time he has done nothing but
> stalk post me all over FU. He is not a man of his
> word and should not be trusted. I think he has
> some undiagnosed mental issues working in concert
> with his libretardness.


blah blah blah shut up...

Gerrymanderer2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You must be corrected...

BY you? Hahahaha. That's like a quadraplegic teaching someone to walk.

What a fucktard.

Nigs just dont like to work. Its quite simple stemming back to their roots. Look at Africa, it is a entire continent of lazy fucks. Debate it all you want but nigs are animals that will never better their race period. Fact- nigs achieved their highest brain function and are slowly slipping backwards in their evolutionary tract. I bet within 100-200 years they will be walking on all 4's again.