Sheriff: Federal 'EBT' Cards 'Ultimately Buying Drugs'

"Primarily you are looking at taxpayers’ dollars that provide EBT cards, that are ultimately buying drugs," said Sheriff Deryl Loar, of the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.

Electronic Benefit Transfer cards (EBT) allow individuals receiving government benefits such as food stamps to charge products to the government when they shop.

The Indian River County Sheriff's Office tells WPEC-TV that career criminal Anthony Wheeler is not the first accused drug dealer found taking payment for drugs with taxpayer-funded electronic benefit cards.

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