Meriden Grocery Store Owner Sentenced To 27 Months In Prison For Food Stamp Fraud

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Myrachid Elquafai, 52, a citizen of Morocco last residing in New Haven, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 27 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for defrauding the federal Food Stamp Program while operating a Meriden grocery store.

On April 26, 2013, following a five-day trial, a jury found Elquafai guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud and one count of food stamp fraud.  According to the evidence disclosed during the trial, the federal Food Stamp Program, which is now known as the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program (“SNAP”), is administered by the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service and utilizes federal tax dollars to subsidize low-income households to provide them with the opportunity to achieve a more nutritious diet by increasing their food-purchasing power.  SNAP recipients purchase eligible food items at retail food stores through the use of an EBT card, which is similar to an ATM card.  SNAP benefits may be accepted by authorized retailers only in exchange for eligible items.  Items such as alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, paper goods and soaps are not eligible for purchase with Food Stamp benefits, and it is a violation of the rules and regulations governing the food stamp program to allow benefits to be used to purchase ineligible items.  SNAP benefits may not lawfully be exchanged for cash under any circumstances.  The program is designed so that the total amount of each purchase is electronically transferred to the retailer’s designated bank account.

Elquafai operated CJ Express and Groceries, LLC, located at 145 West Main Street in Meriden.  From approximately June 2010 to July 2012, Elquafai conspired with Carlos Dominguez, the owner of CJ Express and Groceries, to redeem SNAP benefits at the store at a significantly discounted rate in exchange for cash and cigarettes.  The investigation revealed that more than $820,000 in illegal SNAP benefits were redeemed at the store.

Elquafai, who has been detained since his arrest on August 2, 2012, is subject to immigration proceedings after his release from prison.

Dominguez has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General and the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neeraj Patel and Anastasia King.