Eight Indicted in $7 Million SNAP Benefits Fraud Scheme

Eight people have been indicted in connection with a scheme that stole more than $7 million in SNAP food benefits over a two-year period, using stolen EBT card information to drain accounts before recipients could use their benefits.

The scheme operated between April 2023 and September 2025. The suspects used card skimmers to steal EBT account numbers and PINs, which were then used to create cloned cards that gave them access to victims’ food assistance benefits.

The group first set up merchant accounts and payment systems under the names of real or fake delis and grocery stores. They then used the cloned EBT cards to make purchases through those accounts, draining the available funds shortly after benefits were deposited.

The stolen money was transferred to several locations overseas and used to purchase multiple luxury vehicles. Thousands of SNAP recipients were affected, and many have still not received their money back.

Belal Hauter, 34, is identified by prosecutors as the mastermind of the operation. Four of his associates, Abdulla Aezah, 35, Gregory Fabiani, 46, Milton Rios, 53, and Yvette Rivera, 58, are also among those facing charges including conspiracy, grand larceny and identity theft.