The Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, the Department of Agriculture, and the USDA Office of Inspector General announced a nationwide series of enforcement actions targeting fraud involving the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and related USDA programs on Wednesday. The announcement followed the Department’s first National USDA Benefits and Program Fraud Enforcement Surge, which the Fraud Division, 13 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and the Utah Attorney General’s Office conducted between Sept. 1, 2026, and Oct. 21, 2026.

The enforcement surge resulted in actions against more than 40 defendants whose alleged or proven schemes caused nearly $45 million in intended losses to the federal government. Nearly $42 million of the intended losses involved fraud against SNAP benefits, while one case involved attempted fraud against a USDA crop-insurance program.

Jorag Yaseen and Rami Kanaan were indicted for an alleged scheme causing approximately $29.7 million in estimated loss to the United States. Mercedes New was indicted for an estimated fraud loss amount of $4.4 million in stolen benefits linked to more than 500 Georgia EBT cards.

Ana Patricia Escalante was sentenced to 27 months in prison and ordered to pay $2.4 million in restitution for her role in a conspiracy involving stolen SNAP benefits. Mark Frisbie pleaded guilty to submitting false crop-insurance claims that caused the federal government to pay $1,748,408 in indemnities it otherwise would not have paid.

"The human cost of these fraud schemes is measured not in spreadsheets, but in the panic of a mother whose card is declined and the hunger her children endure because someone hijacked their benefits," said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald. "These schemes inflict real harm on real American families, and they erode the trust taxpayers place in programs designed to keep Americans fed."

"Every instance of SNAP fraud has two victims: families in dire need and taxpayers," said USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins. "Under the Trump Administration, food stamp fraud ends now."