FRESNO, California — Jorge Luis Rivera, a 56-year-old Fresno resident, has been sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $3.5 million in restitution for his role in a wire fraud conspiracy, according to U.S. Attorney Eric Grant. Rivera, the former owner of El Ranchito Bakery, was found guilty of exchanging Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for cash and accepting them for unauthorized items from 2011 to 2018.
Rivera’s fraudulent activities involved offering SNAP benefits at a significant discount, allowing him to amass millions in illegal profits. His sentence was further enhanced due to his direction of two bakery employees who also participated in the scheme. These employees pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and were sentenced last year.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chan Hee Chu and Joseph Barton, stated the source.