BUFFALO, N.Y. — A 33-year-old Buffalo man was arraigned Thursday morning on welfare fraud charges for misuse of Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards, according to the Erie County District Attorney's Office.
While working as a convenience store clerk, it's alleged that Farquan Aljabbouri fraudulently used EBT cards from customers in exchange for cash between Sept. 26, 2020 and April 13, 2022.
It's also alleged that Aljabbouri obtained over $14,000 in public assistance benefits by using the EBT cards to buy items for the convenience store, which is said to be located on South Park Avenue in the City of Buffalo, near Good Avenue.
Aljabbouri was arraigned Thursday on one count of welfare fraud in the third degree (a class D felony), one count of criminal use of a public benefit card in the second degree (a class A misdemeanor) and one count of misuse of food stamps, food stamp program coupons, authorization cards and electronic access devices (a class D felony under New York Social Services Law).
Aljabbouri was released on his own recognizance and is scheduled to return to court on April 28, 2022 for a felony hearing. He faces a maximum sentence of seven years in prison if he's convicted of all charges.
“This case is particularly concerning to me because this defendant’s alleged criminal actions exploited poor people in our community. Instead of being used to purchase food and other essential items for those who truly need help, this defendant is accused of paying people off to use their food stamp cards for his own benefit,” said Erie County District Attorney John Flynn. “I encourage anyone who has information on the misuse of public assistance funds to contact my office.”
