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Posted Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Pols demand overhaul after EBT bust

DA: Cocaine, heroin seized at Lynn stores

By Dave Wedge and O’Ryan Johnson

Beacon Hill Republicans are calling for a massive overhaul of the state’s welfare system after a crew of alleged Lynn grifters was charged with scamming thousands from taxpayer-funded EBT cards — including some who allegedly took the public money as payment for crack.

“I want to see major reform here in Massachusetts,” fumed state Rep. Shaunna O’Connell, a Taunton Republican heading a legislative panel reviewing the EBT program. “You can spend that money on anything you want. There’s no oversight.”

The latest example of alleged rampant abuse occurred in Lynn, where authorities said four convenience stores let customers withdraw hundreds in cash while keeping half as a fee. Agents from the federal Department of Agriculture, along with state troopers from Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett’s office and Lynn police, raided the stores yesterday, arrested eight people and seized a half-kilo of crack cocaine and 700 grams of heroin, officials said.

At Ace’s Wholesale Foods, a corner store in downtown Lynn, authorities said EBT sales topped $524,000 in the past year — far eclipsing sales at a nearby major supermarket.

Undercover cops allegedly used EBT cards at the market on several occasions to withdraw $80 in cash at a time, which was used to buy $40 worth of crack. The other $40 would be kept by the store as a fee, Essex First Assistant District Attorney Jack Dawley said in Lynn District Court yesterday. An undercover state trooper also witnessed many “blatant drug deals using EBT cards” at the store, Dawley said.

“This is an affront and an insult to all taxpayers,” Blodgett said.

“This money is supposed to be going to those who need it,” added Lynn Police Chief Kevin Coppinger. “It’s outrageous.”

Charged with cocaine dealing and EBT fraud are store owners Midlher Cherubin, 41, and his son, Allan, 20; and Jean Saint Preux, 23, all of Lynn; and Jayson Powell, 26. All four pleaded not guilty and were ordered held on high bail. Lawyers for the Cherubins said the store owners had no knowledge of the alleged fraud or drug sales.

Charged with EBT fraud in the sweep were Amimada Jean Geffide, 33; Amanda Repp, 24; and Sheena White, 27, all of Lynn; and Pierre Saint Fort. All four were released on personal recognizance.

In the wake of Herald reports that found EBT cards were used to buy booze, lottery tickets, jewelry and other luxuries, the Legislature created a panel to review the program. O’Connell, who chairs it, wants restrictions on what can be bought. Current rules allow welfare recipients to withdraw up to $300 in state cash per month, in addition to federal food stipends.

“I want a complete overhaul of the system,” said Sen. Robert Hedlund (R-Weymouth). “It’s a farce.”

Jennifer Kritz, state Department of Transitional Assistance spokeswoman, said the agency regularly probes fraud and recovered $4 million in 2010. “We take allegations of fraud very seriously,” she said.

SCAM: Amimada Jean Geffide, 33, top...
Photo by Matt Stone
SCAM: Amimada Jean Geffide, 33, top center, puts her chin on her hand as Allan Cherubin, 20, back left, and Pierre Saint Fort, 24, also are arraigned in Lynn District Court yesterday on charges of EBT fraud.

© Copyright by the Boston Herald and Herald Media.

Published Wednesday, December 14, 2011

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Cop nabbed 8 in fraud raid

By Thor Jourgensen/The Daily Item
Jean St. Preux, left, and Jayson Powell at their arraignment in Lynn District Court Tuesday. (Item Photo / Owen O'Rourke)
 
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See more Daily Item photos from the raid
Cops nab 8 in fraud raid By Thor Jourgensen / The Daily Item

LYNN — Benefits cards issued to needy people and paid for with taxpayers’ dollars were used to buy cocaine in downtown “Mom and Pop” stores, police and prosecutors said Tuesday.

Lynn and State Police officers raided the three downtown stores and another on Chatham Street Tuesday morning, arresting eight owners and clerks and charging them with “access device fraud” and drug offenses.

“This is an affront and an insult to all taxpayers of the commonwealth,” said District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett after the eight were arraigned in District Court at 4:30 p.m.

Blodgett and Lynn Police Chief Kevin Coppinger said the raids and arrests capped off a nearly year-long investigation into benefits fraud by an undercover police officer, federal agents and local police.

Both men said investigators are continuing to probe additional illegal activity involving Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards.

“It’s astonishing how easy it was to do these things,” Blodgett said.

First Assistant District Attorney John Dawley called the cards “modern-day food stamps” and said they are legitimately issued to income-eligible families who use the cards, on average, to buy $300 to $700 a month in food to supplement their incomes.

Dawley, outlining the case against the eight in District Court on Tuesday afternoon, said an undercover State Trooper began investigating benefits fraud at ACE Wholesale and Retail Inc. on Central Avenue over the last year and discovered he could convert benefits on the EBT into cash with a simple transaction.

“The operative would buy a bag of chips and a soda and merely say, ‘Is it cool?’ The clerk would ask, ‘How much?’ The clerk would ring in a $100 purchase, giving the person $50, keeping $50 for the house without a single item of food being bought,” Dawley said.

Dawley said the undercover trooper soon discovered he could buy crack cocaine at ACE through a similar transaction. He said the trooper also saw other people buying illegal drugs in the store.

“We were concerned that this could be done as easily and readily as it was,” Blodgett said.

Police arrested and charged Allan Cherubin, 20, of 13 Park St., with access device fraud and cocaine trafficking over 200 grams. His father, Midlher Cherubin, 41, same address, was charged with access device fraud, cocaine trafficking over 200 grams and cocaine distribution in a school zone.

Allan Cherubin’s name appears on the city occupancy certificate for ACE Wholesale.

Police arrested and charged Jean St. Preux, 23, of 53 Chatham St., with two counts of cocaine distribution for EBT credit, three counts of cocaine distribution in a school zone and illegal firearm and ammunition possession.

Dawley stated in court that Midlher Cherubin introduced the undercover trooper to St. Preux, who arranged a drug purchase at ACE.

Police arrested and charged Jayson Powell, 26, of 124 Central Ave., with access device fraud and cocaine trafficking over 200 grams.

Police also charged Amimada Jean-Geffide, 33, 15 Whittier St.; Amanda Repp, 24, 40 Hamilton Ave.; Sheena White, 27, 33 Lincoln St., and Pierre St. Fort, 40, of Malden, with access device fraud.

All eight pleaded innocent to the charges and Judge James Lamothe set $25,000 bail each for Allan and Midlher Cherubin; $50,000 bail for St. Preux and $10,000 bail for Powell. All four are scheduled to return to court on Jan. 10.

Prosecutors did not seek bail on the other four individuals.

Blodgett said investigators did not compile a count of the number of individuals who used benefits cards to buy drugs or make cash transactions. But Dawley stated in court that ACE and three other stores — JM Mini Mart across from ACE; Benjy’s Convenience Store, 250 Chatham St., and MJ’s Wholesale, 224 Union St. — together tallied up more than $1 million in EBT transactions between late 2009 and 2011.

“The large volume of high dollar food stamp sales is unusual for stores the sizes of ACE and MJ’s,”

Christopher Robinson, a federal agriculture special agent, stated as much in an affidavit filed in District Court. But the Cherubins’ attorneys told Lamothe that the Central Avenue stores sell high-priced imported products.

“They have a lot of unusual items. Some are expensive,” Andrews said, adding Midlher Cherubin “did not bring drugs in” to the stores.

“He’s an honest guy,” Andrews said.

Police seized more than 200 grams of cocaine at MJ’s Wholesale, according to a police report made available by Blodgett’s office, and found crack cocaine and a gun in a 36 Surfside Road apartment.

Officers entered all four stores Tuesday morning and pored over papers and took photographs inside ACE and JM Mini Mart. The presence of officers inside her neighborhood convenience store caught Benjy’s customer Kristin Brodin by surprise.

“It’s a neighborhood store. The owner is a real nice guy,” she said.

 
Published by The Daily Item of Lynn, MA, Wednesday, December 14, 2011.

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