(Daily Tribune) MICHIGAN - Several Oakland and Macomb county grocers were among those arrested
Wednesday in a federal food stamp crackdown, according to the U.S.
Attorney's Office in Detroit.
According to federal prosecutors, the suspects redeemed food stamp
benefits for cash, and allowed food stamps to be exchanged for tobacco,
clothing, household appliances and furnishings, which are against
federal regulations.
In all, 9 Chaldeans from the Detroit metro-area were arrested includig:
- Tony Gumma, owner of Dollar
Palace and resident of Sterling Heights faces charges of wire fraud.
- Ayad Yatooma, owner of Caesar
Food Center, and resident of Shelby Township, and Adnan Kejbou of Troy
were arrested on charges of food stamp fraud.
- Ghazi Manni, resident of Sterling
Heights, and Adil Manni, resident of West Bloomfield, owners of
King Cole Foods, were arrested on charges of food stamp fraud. Ghazi
Manni in 2009 was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of fixing
the outcomes of college football and basketball games. The case is
pending in federal court.
- Yousef Haddad, owner and resident of Canton, was arrested
on charges of food stamp fraud.
- Khalil Haddad, owner of Dollar City and
resident of Canton, was arrested on charges of food stamp fraud
- Owners Kushaba and Philips Hermiz of Rochester were arrested and charged.
"Taxpayers in Michigan fund the food stamp program to provide food for
the needy, not to create a commodity to be traded for profit," said U.S.
Attorney Barbara McQuade in a statement. "We will work to ensure that
food assistance programs are not abused."
The arrests follow a two-week search and arrest warrant operation which
targeted the southeast Michigan retailers suspected of illegal practices
involving food stamps.
To date the feds in connection with food stamp program frauds arrested 125 arrests, and
roughly $21.1 million in court ordered fines and restitution, and $3.2
million in forfeiture.
