{"id":237691,"date":"2026-07-07T17:52:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T17:52:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/237691\/"},"modified":"2026-07-07T17:52:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T17:52:17","slug":"pittsburgh-workers-charged-with-food-stamp-fraud-in-nationwide-doj-crackdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/237691\/","title":{"rendered":"Pittsburgh workers charged with food stamp fraud in nationwide DOJ crackdown"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a historic multi-agency effort led by the U.S. Department of Justice cracking down on federal benefits fraud<\/a>, two Pittsburgh convenience store workers were accused of trading more than half a million dollars worth of food stamps<\/a> for cash.<\/p>\n

Abdou Jallow, 55, and Alicia Mastrantoni, 39, both accused of food stamp<\/a> fraud, were just two of 455 people charged for alleged fraud in the coordinated national effort.<\/p>\n

The charges were part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown<\/a>, where those charged were accused of participating in schemes involving more than $6.5 billion alleged false claims, according to a June 23 DOJ release<\/a>. The department alleged that the two convenience store workers had exchanged more than $550,000 worth of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for money.<\/p>\n

\"Acting<\/p>\n

Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche exits a meeting with Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 21, 2026. REUTERS\/Annabelle Gordon<\/p>\n

Why two Pittsburgh workers were charged with food stamp fraud<\/p>\n

Jallow and Mastrantoni, both Pittsburgh residents, were accused of exchanging SNAP benefits for cash for customers at a Pittsburgh convenience store, where Jallow was a manager and Mastroni was an employee.<\/p>\n

The Department of Justice said that many of the customers went on to use the money to purchase “illegal controlled substances.”<\/p>\n

A criminal complaint against Jallow and Mastrantoni further alleged that they used universal product codes on the store’s cash register to try to hide the nature of these customers’ transactions, which the DOJ said were “significantly high in both volume and dollar amount.”<\/p>\n

Nationwide enforcement effort leads to DOJ charges against 455 people<\/p>\n

In their nationwide crackdown on fraud using federal benefits, the DOJ and other law enforcement agency partners brought charges against 455 people, according to the June 23 release. Numerous agencies from around the country partnered with the Department of Justice, with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania investigating the Pittsburgh case alongside the Department’s Health Care Fraud Unit of the Fraud Division, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania State Police Organize Crime Unit West.<\/p>\n

\"Federal<\/p>\n

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel speaks on the day U.S. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announces annual healthcare fraud takedown results and fraud enforcement actions at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 23, 2026. <\/p>\n

Of the 455 people charged during the enforcement effort, 90 were doctors and other licensed medical professionals accused of participating in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving more than $6.5 billion in false claims. The DOJ alleged that some of these cases led to “significant patient harm, including death.”<\/p>\n

The 455 is a fraction of all those charged or otherwise penalized through the coordinated government-wide enforcement action, which has involved thousands of cases handled by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Drug Enforcement Administration.<\/p>\n

Finch Walker is the Pittsburgh Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Walker at FWalker@usatodayco.com.\u00a0Instagram:\u00a0@finchwalker_<\/a>.\u00a0X:\u00a0@_finchwalker<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pittsburgh workers charged with food stamp fraud in nationwide DOJ crackdown<\/a><\/p>\n