Arizona AG: Arrests made in state’s largest undercover food stamp operation seizure

Arizona AG: Arrests made in state’s largest undercover food stamp operation seizure

08/29/2013
Caroline May
Political Reporter
Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne announced the state’s largest undercover food stamp fraud bust and the arrests of three individuals involved on Thursday.

K & S convenience store employees Kameel Sweiss, 51, Ameer Sweis, 22, Faday Sweiss, 33, were arrested Wednesday for allegedly illegally conducting an enterprise, fraudulent schemes and artifices, money laundering, unlawful use of food stamps and computer tampering.

According to Horne, Wednesday morning SWAT units of the Phoenix Police Department entered the K & S convenience store to execute search warrants and seized $32,876 in cash, a key to a private bank vault holding $550,480 in cash, bank records, accounts, food stamp cards, business ledgers and three vehicles.

The arrests came following months of an undercover investigation involving the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, Phoenix Police Department, United States Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General, Arizona Department of Economic Security, as well as the Arizona Department of Revenue, which is conducting a separate and ongoing investigation.

“This business was stealing taxpayer money by allowing a person with a food stamp card to purchase something small, such as a bag of chips, and then overcharge that card to make a fraudulent profit,” Horne explained in a statement.

“This seizure is the largest in our state’s history with regard to food stamp fraud and should serve as a strong warning to those who continue to engage in these kinds of illegal actions,” he added.

The defendants appeared before a judge Wednesday night, in addition to the $100,00 bonds all are required to turn over their passports and if they are able to post bond, the judge ordered they will have to wear an ankle monitor.

“The Office of Inspector General at USDA remains committed, alongside our law enforcement partners, to investigate individuals and retailers involved in the trafficking of food stamp benefits in exchange for cash,” deputy counsel for the Office of the Inspector General Paul Feeney added.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/08/29/ar...#ixzz2dVOrbu91

3 arrested in undercover food-stamp sting

Posted: Aug 29, 2013 1:40 PM CDTBy Steve Stout -
By Shawn Kline -

CBS5 Phoenix video report at link

http://kpho.images.worldnow.com/images/2768496_G.jpgMore than $550,000 was found in a private bank vault. (Source: Arizona Attorney General's Office)
http://kpho.images.worldnow.com/images/2768531_G.jpgAnother $32,000 in cash was also seized. (Source: Arizona Attorney General's Office)
http://kpho.images.worldnow.com/images/2768541_G.jpgKameel Sweiss. (Source: Arizona Attorney General's Office)
http://kpho.images.worldnow.com/images/2768542_G.jpgFaday Sweis. (Source: Arizona Attorney General's Office)
http://kpho.images.worldnow.com/images/2768543_G.jpgAmeer Sweis. (Source: Arizona Attorney General's Office)

PHOENIX (CBS5) -Police arrested three men during an undercover food-stamp sting operation at a Phoenix convenience store Wednesday.

Kameel Sweiss, 51, and his sons, Ameer Sweis, 22, and Faday Sweis, 33, all of whom work at the K&S convenience store at 6166 N. 27th Ave., were arrested by Phoenix SWAT officers Wednesday morning and made their initial court appearances, according to a news release from the state's Attorney General's Office.

Officers raided the store and the Sweiss' Peoria home.

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne said $550,480 in cash was found in a private bank vault, another $32,876 in cash, bank records and accounts, extraneous food stamp cards, business ledgers and three vehicles were seized in the sting operation.

"This seizure is the largest in our state's history with regard to food stamp fraud," Horne said.

Horne said the business would allow a person with a food stamp card to purchase a small item, such as a bag of potato chips, overcharge the card and "make a fraudulent profit." According to the Attorney General's Office, those carrying the food stamps would be offered a "cut" of the cash-profit but Sweiss and his sons made a total of over $700-thousand.

"These people are saving it up and buying multiple cars, multiple houses and living off of us in a way that's just not right," a spokesperson for the Attorney General said.

The arrests came after months of the undercover operation that included several agencies.

The father and two sons face possible charges of charges of illegally conducting an enterprise, fraudulent schemes and artifices, money laundering, unlawful use of food stamps and computer tampering, according to Horne's office.

The three were held on $100,000 bonds each and were required to surrender their passports as a condition of release, according to Horne's office. They would be required to wear ankle monitors if they post bond, according to Horne's office.

http://www.nbc12.com/story/23291110/...od-stamp-sting