Brooklyn DA Meets With Victims Whose Food Stamp Benefits Were Stolen

Brooklyn DA Meets With Victims Whose Food Stamp Benefits Were Stolen
Inside the crowded Shorefront Y, people who have had their food stamp benefits stolen and not yet returned spoke of pain, injustice, and hope. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, Brooklyn Assistant District Attorney Alex Gourevitch, prosecutors, and the FBI came to meet in person with the victims. The meeting was provided with simultaneous translation, as the vast majority of those present were Russian speakers. But the problem extends far beyond one community: Similar crimes have plagued Chinese, Hispanic, and Pakistani neighborhoods in New York City.
"I grew up in a family that survived on government assistance. And I understand how important it is to have food on the table," said Attorney Gonzalez. "We have an obligation to do everything we can to help those who are suffering and need food because they are victims of fraud." He emphasized that Brighton Beach and the surrounding areas are among the hardest hit, which is why the attorney decided to come in person. The essence of the crimes is the illegal scanning of information from SNAP (food stamp) assistance cards. "Sometimes a person has just paid at a store, and an hour later his money is withdrawn in Pennsylvania or other cities," the attorney said. "It turns out that readers are installed on terminals - and almost unnoticed."
According to a representative of the prosecutor's office, a group of three people often works: two distract the cashier, the third installs the reading device. "We know about this and are working to catch the criminals," the prosecutor assured.
Federal and city agencies are conducting a joint investigation. One of the priorities is to replace magnetic stripe cards with chip cards, which are harder to counterfeit. A bill to this effect has already been proposed in Albany. In the meantime, people are advised to change their PINs or freeze their cards after each purchase (this can be done from a phone). "Sometimes criminals' DNA is left on the terminal, and that helps to find them," added one of the employees of the district attorney's office.
Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny, whose office has received many victims, acknowledged that the situation is serious and urgent. City Councilwoman Inna Vernikova said that in the past, thanks to congressional intervention, some people have been able to get their stolen money back. Refunds are currently on hold, but she is co-sponsoring legislation to modernize EBT cards and create a state fund to reimburse victims of SNAP fraud.
All those present had the opportunity to ask questions of the prosecutor's office, the FBI, as well as Maya Seifer, an employee of the office of City Councilwoman Inna Vernikova, and the staff of Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton. Participants in the meeting spoke warmly of Assistant District Attorney Alex Gurevich, thanks to whom many questions were not left unanswered.
The press conference at Shorefront left me with mixed feelings. On the one hand, deep gratitude to everyone who is fighting for justice, trying to help people. On the other hand, the pain of realizing that the stolen funds have not yet been returned. My question about when people will get their stolen food stamps back remains unanswered.
But if such meetings continue, our voices will be heard, and the problem may yet move forward. In the meantime, I thank everyone who is approached by those suffering, whose food stamps were stolen: Yakov Tsybushnik, Tatyana Vladova, a social worker at the Jewish charity JCCGCI, Ari Kagan, the chief adviser to Senator Steve Chan, Linda Harrison, the chair of the board of residents of Harbor Houses NYCHA, Yana Kofman, as well as the staff of the office of Congressman Hakim Jeffries, Assemblymen William Colton, Mikhail Novakhov and others.
To report benefit theft to the HRA Fraud Hotline, call 718-557-1399.
To speak Russian dial "5"
Marina Lagunova