Jenny Espinal Tejada, 34, of Philadelphia, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for defrauding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Espinal Tejada, who owned a corner grocery store, was found guilty of using her unapproved store to redeem SNAP benefits, resulting in over $1.8 million in fraudulent transactions.
Espinal Tejada used stolen merchant identification to access the SNAP program and illegally exchanged benefits for cash. In addition to serving prison time, she is required to pay restitution of $1,842,402 and forfeit the proceeds made from her fraudulent actions.
U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero emphasized the importance of holding individuals accountable for such fraudulent schemes. “Espinal Tejada sought to profit illicitly from the SNAP program, diverting nearly $2 million of the USDA’s money,” said Romero. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI.
