NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - The owner of a grocery store in New Jersey’s largest city has admitted running a food stamp benefit fraud scheme while trying to hide his involvement in the business.
Federal prosecutors say Jamil Bader pleaded guilty Thursday to a fraud count. The 60-year-old Teaneck man faces up to 20 years in prison when he’s sentenced Nov. 7.
Bader ran a small store in Newark but put its ownership in another person’s name because he had been banned from accepting food stamp benefit charges at his store due to a similar fraud scheme.
Bader gave some customers cash in return for their food stamp benefits and kept a portion of the money for himself. The scam netted $754,424 between September 2013 and September 2016.
Authorities say Bader fled the United States in an attempt to escape prosecution, but was later arrested.
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