Mattapan store owner pleads guilty in Boston federal court to $6.7 million SNAP trafficking scheme

Guilty plea in long-running EBT trafficking case tied to a Blue Hill Avenue storefront

A Mattapan store owner has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to charges stemming from a scheme that prosecutors say generated at least $6.7 million in fraudulent Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) transactions. The case centers on benefit “trafficking,” a form of fraud in which SNAP funds—intended to be used for eligible groceries—are exchanged for cash or other prohibited items through electronic benefit transfer (EBT) transactions.

In court filings, investigators described the primary business at the center of the case, Jesula Variety Store, as a small retail operation operating from 1549 Blue Hill Ave. Authorities alleged that the store’s physical footprint and limited inventory were inconsistent with the volume and pattern of SNAP redemptions recorded over multiple years.

How investigators said the scheme worked

Federal investigators alleged that undercover transactions documented the exchange of SNAP benefits for cash at a discount—commonly described as a customer receiving less cash than the face value of the benefits charged—along with transactions involving items not allowed under SNAP rules. Investigators also cited surveillance and observation indicating that customers frequently did not leave the store carrying grocery bags or food consistent with large-dollar purchases.

Prosecutors alleged that unusually large EBT purchases were processed repeatedly at the location, including high-value transactions that investigators said did not match what the storefront appeared capable of selling as legitimate grocery retail.

• Charge(s) in the guilty plea include wire fraud and unauthorized use, transfer, or possession of SNAP benefits.
• The admitted conduct involves fraudulent EBT transactions processed through Jesula Variety Store in Mattapan.
• The dollar total cited by prosecutors in the plea-related reporting is at least $6.7 million in fraudulent activity.

Second business and a second defendant

Investigators tied the broader investigation to two co-located businesses operating from the same street-facing storefront: Jesula Variety Store and Saul Maché Mixé Store. In the earlier charging stage, authorities alleged that the second store began accepting SNAP later and accounted for a smaller portion of the total alleged trafficking.

The investigation described repeated patterns of SNAP redemptions that far exceeded what similarly sized retailers typically process.

Oversight questions and what comes next

The case has drawn renewed attention to the systems used to approve retailers for SNAP participation and to flag suspicious redemption patterns. Prosecutors publicly argued that the alleged scale of fraudulent redemptions should have been detectable earlier through oversight and monitoring. State officials, in public statements at the charging stage, said they had reported suspicious activity to federal authorities for investigation.

Sentencing for the defendant who pleaded guilty will be determined by the federal court. Proceedings involving the second defendant remain separate, and allegations against any defendant who has not been convicted remain unproven unless established in court.