2 Brothers Admit To Food Stamp Fraud in East St. Louis

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (AP) — Two Swansea brothers and business owners have pleaded guilty to acquiring more than $1 million through food stamp fraud.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports 44-year-old Qais Hussein and 45-year-old Majdi Odeh admitted to falsely acquiring more than $1 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits on Monday. The brothers, who owned Garden Grill Market Inc., also pleaded guilty to filing false tax returns and trafficking counterfeit goods.

According to prosecutors, the fraud occurred from 2010 through 2012 and the food stamp program lost about $1.6 million. The brothers said they would give cash payments to customers that were 50 to 60 percent of the value of the benefits and keep the difference.

The two brothers are scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 3.

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