From the U.S. Attorney:
Chicago Man Admits Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $1.5 Million in SNAP Benefits
CHICAGO — A man has admitted in federal court that he fraudulently obtained more than $1.5 million in benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
DAVID QUINONES, 44, of Chicago, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a federal wire fraud charge, which is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger set sentencing for June 18, 2025.
SNAP is a federal benefit program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in conjunction with state governments.
The program is intended to provide nutritional benefits to supplement the food budgets of eligible individuals and families.
Retail stores authorized to participate in SNAP can accept SNAP benefits through EBT cards, also known as Link cards, as payment for eligible food items.
It is illegal for stores or individuals to exchange Link cards for cash or other items.
Quinones admitted in a plea agreement that from 2018 to 2023, he gave cash or other items to SNAP recipients in exchange for access to their Link cards and associated identification numbers.
Quinones used the cards to purchase various goods at authorized retail stores, fraudulently representing himself as the authorized user of the cards.
He then re-sold most of the goods, keeping the proceeds for himself.
Quinones admitted that he used more than 1,200 cards and fraudulently caused the USDA to pay out approximately $1,554,804 in SNAP benefits.
The guilty plea was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Shantel R. Robinson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, Midwest Region, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Kelly.
