A Broward County woman is accused of stealing more than $120,000 in SNAP benefits from over 200 victims, many of whom say they did not realize their accounts had been drained until they tried to pay for groceries.
Prosecutors say 43-year-old Tamica Brown used stolen EBT card numbers over an eight-month period, targeting some of South Florida’s most vulnerable residents. Investigators allege Brown worked with at least two men, who remain at large, to obtain hundreds of SNAP account numbers.
One of the alleged victims, 95-year-old Angela Liriano, said she was left without money for food after her benefits disappeared.
“I was really in need,” Liriano said. “They really hurt me.”
Liriano said she discovered her benefits were gone when she was shopping at her local grocery store, and her EBT card was declined. She said the process to restore her account was long and stressful, requiring paperwork and phone calls. It took about a month before she could buy groceries again.
Investigators say Brown allegedly used the stolen benefits to purchase large quantities of items such as Gatorade and energy drinks, which were then resold to corner stores for cash.
Brown appeared in bond court Monday, facing charges including criminal use of personal identification information and trafficking more than 50 counterfeit credit cards.
During the hearing, a prosecutor described the case as particularly severe.
“She didn’t just victimize these people,” the prosecutor said. “She picked some of the most vulnerable people. She is a high-level defraud involving SNAP cards.”
Liriano said seeing the suspect’s booking photo brought her some relief, even though she did not recognize Brown.
“I feel sorry because I don’t want anyone to go through what I went through,” she said. “It was very wrong.”
Brown’s bond was set at $300,000.