The U.S. Attorney's Office in Massachusetts has indicted two Haitian immigrants for a fraud scheme that allowed them to defraud the government of nearly $7 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The indictment was announced in a federal indictment filed on December 17, 2025.

According to the indictment, Antonio Bonheur, 74, a naturalized Haitian citizen, and Saul Alisme, 21, a lawful permanent resident, also of Haitian descent, were accused of abusing SNAP over a period of approximately 20 months, a fraud that involved nearly $7 million in SNAP benefits.

The case involves two businesses, "Jesula Variety Store" and "Saul Maché Mixé Store" located in the same commercial space in the Mattapan neighborhood of Boston. According to the federal indictment, these stores were extremely small, measuring approximately 150 and 500 square feet respectively, and offered a very limited selection of food. These businesses displayed abnormally high SNAP redemption volumes, far exceeding what legitimate sales could reasonably support. The indictment alleges that one of these stores was generating over $100,000 per month and sometimes even as much as $500,000, prosecutors stated. According to U.S. Attorney Leah Foley, "They turned a program designed to feed families into a multimillion-dollar criminal enterprise."

Investigators allege that undercover agents repeatedly observed customers using their SNAP cards and receiving cash instead of food, with store managers retaining a portion of the benefits. The prosecution also alleges that the stores sold items ineligible for the SNAP program, including alcohol, and sometimes resold donated food items not intended for retail sale. The indictment further alleges that funds from this fraud were channeled through multiple bank accounts to conceal their origin.

The two men are charged with food stamp fraud. If convicted, they face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendants have not yet entered a plea, and all allegations in the indictment remain unproven at this stage.

Authorities stated that this case highlights weaknesses in the oversight of merchants participating in the SNAP program. They emphasized that the charges related to the alleged actions of these two individuals do not reveal a more widespread fraudulent practice within immigrant or Haitian communities.

S/ HaitiLibre