At Least 40 People Face Federal Charges in Oregon SNAP Fraud Schemes Topping $3 Million
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon announced in Portland on October 21 that at least 40 people are facing federal charges for conspiring to defraud the United States of more than $3 million in fraudulent Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) purchases. The schemes involved stealing Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card data, often through skimming devices, to make unauthorized purchases of large quantities of SNAP-eligible goods.
At a press conference that afternoon, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott E. Bradford announced multiple new guilty pleas, 11 new indictments, and major federal sentences in two large interstate fraud schemes involving stolen EBT account information. “When SNAP benefits are stolen, real families go without food,” Bradford said. “That is unacceptable.” USDA Inspector General John Walk said the organized schemes not only deprived needy families of food assistance but also put public health and safety at risk by selling products such as infant formula on the black market.
In one case, a federal grand jury in Oregon charged 17 people in October 2024 in a scheme that stole more than $2.4 million in SNAP benefits. Investigators say that from August 2023 to October 2024, the group used skimmers and other methods to steal EBT card information, then used the stolen accounts to buy large amounts of infant formula, energy drinks, and other SNAP-eligible items in Oregon, Washington, and California. More than 120,000 pounds of goods were purchased with stolen benefits, stored in Oregon and Washington, and then shipped to California to be sold on the black market. All 17 defendants were arrested in October 2024. One defendant, Ana Escalante, was sentenced in September 2026 to 27 months in prison and ordered to pay $2.4 million in restitution. So far, 12 defendants have been sentenced to a combined 157 months in prison, and two more have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing in December 2026.
In a second case, Alexandru Telescu and eleven others were charged in November 2025 in a 26-count federal indictment involving an estimated $700,000 in losses. Starting in April 2025, the group allegedly used stolen EBT numbers and PINs, and skimmers placed on retail payment terminals, to buy SNAP-eligible items in Oregon, Washington, and California, storing some items in storage units and shipping others to California in vans and trucks. On September 29, 2026, Telescu pleaded guilty to access-device fraud and aggravated identity theft and is scheduled for sentencing on January 28, 2027.
Separately, Bly Gnionsiekan Rodoophe Kehi was indicted on October 7, 2026, for allegedly installing skimming devices on Washington County payment terminals, and in September and October 2026 federal grand juries charged ten additional defendants with using stolen EBT card numbers and PINs during 2024, each case involving more than $1,000 in merchandise and estimated losses totaling $143,000. The investigation involves the USDA Office of Inspector General, IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, multiple police departments, and state agencies.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于 Portland 的 Mark O. Hatfield 联邦法院大楼，本案系列案件在俄勒冈区联邦法院审理。Another Believer 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0，经维基共享资源。Photo: The Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse in Portland, where the Oregon federal cases are being heard. Another Believer, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
