St. Louis Store Owner Pleads Guilty to $1.9 million in Food Stamp Fraud

Taxpayers lost more than $600,000 after a St. Louis shop owner illegally sold cologne, cigarettes, and calling cards to people using food stamps in 2011. He also provided a cash back option to customers using food stamps, which is also against the law.

Ebraheem Maki Naif, the owner of Gravois Discount Smokes, pled guilty to one felony count of food stamp fraud last week. He faces up to 10 years in prison and/or fines of up to $250,000. He will be sentenced in August.

From 2008-2012, Naif redeemed $1.9 million in food stamp benefits from the federal government. In 2011, that number was $690,198, but he only reported $80,800 worth of sales through food stamps that year to the city of St. Louis. That resulted in an overpayment of $609,398 in 2011 because of his scheme.

Naif also agreed to forfeit a vehicle and $30,765 taken from him by authorities during the investigation.

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