Passaic County law enforcement arrested the owner of a pizza restaurant in Paterson NJ after he and his wife allegedly committed food stamp fraud.
According to Passaic County officials, the suspects operate Piccolo s Pizza & Liquors, which is located on Main Street in Paterson, NJ. Authorities allege that the suspects committed fraud by purchasing food stamps at a discounted price for 60 cents on the dollar and then using the food stamps to buy restaurant supplies.
It is also believed by Passaic County NJ authorities that the suspects used the illegally obtained food stamps to buy personal groceries.
The suspects allegedly committed the fraud over a one-year period, from January 2015 to February 2016. They reportedly approached customers who had received food stamps from the Passaic County Board of Social Services. The suspects were allegedly able to conceal their unlawful purchases by obtaining the food stamps through Electronic Benefits Transfer cards. Of course, that s also how Passaic County investigators were eventually able to link the fraud to the suspects.
The Passaic County Prosecutor s Office Financial Crimes Unit and the North East Regional Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Agriculture conducted a joint investigation into the food stamp fraud after receiving a tip from the Passaic County Board of Social Services.
The suspects, a 66-year-old man and his 69-year-old wife, both live in North Haledon, New Jersey. They own and operate the pizzeria in Paterson, NJ. The husband is listed as the owner of the pizzeria and the wife is listed as the restaurant s president, according to records kept by the Greater Paterson Chamber of Commerce.
Both suspects face multiple criminal charges, including food stamp fraud, theft by deception, conspiracy to commit theft by deception, and conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud.
For further information about this case, view the NJ.com article, “Pizzeria Owner and Wife Accused of Food Stamp Fraud.”
