Eleven plea guilty to food stamp fraud charges stemming from Donalsonville case

ALBANY — The former co-owner of a Donalsonville grocery store, along with 10 customers, have pled guilty to charges related to defrauding the federal food stamp program, Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, said.

Garland Alford, 75, of Donalsonville, the former co-owner of Lake Flea Market & FDR Grocery, a convenience/grocery store located south of Donalsonville, pled guilty to two counts of acquiring Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Benefits by fraud on Tuesday.

Alford’s plea subjects him to a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $500,000. In addition, 10 customers of the store, all of whom redeemed more than $5,000 in food stamp benefits, have each pled guilty to one count of unlawfully transferring food stamp benefits in violation of law.

The customers are Jeanie Sheffield, 34, of Colquitt; Kaneesha Wooten, 23, of Bainbridge; Wendy Mitchell Prickett, 44, of Nashville, Tenn.; and Antonio Gardner, 35, Victoria Henry, 47, Jennifer Johnson, 30, Renee Kimble, 41, Crystal Maxwell, 36, Rosanna Roupe, 33, and Kayla Wallace, 26, all of Donalsonville.

Peeler said their pleas subject them to maximum sentences of five years in prison and $250,000 in fines. All pleas were entered before U.S. District Judge Leslie J. Abrams in Albany. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 6.

Plea agreements state that law enforcement officials opened a criminal investigation after learning that Alford was giving cash for food stamp benefits and allowing SNAP recipients to purchase ineligible items with their benefits. Peeler said “numerous” undercover transactions confirmed the illegal transactions.

The average food stamp transaction at Alford’s store was $56.13, while the average transaction at similar stores in Georgia is $7.42. Alford’s store redeemed more than $437,000 in food stamp benefits during a five-year period. A search warrant executed at the store also revealed that multiple the items on the store’s shelves and in the freezers were well past their “sell by” date, Peeler said.

“The purpose of the food stamp program is to feed low-income families, not enrich people,” he said in a statement. “This office will vigorously prosecute both store owners and food stamp recipients who abuse the system, and attempt to defraud the government. I want to commend the efforts of the Department of Agriculture, the Georgia Department of Human Resources and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office in helping put an end to this illegal activity.”

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Georgia Department of Human Services-Office of Inspector General and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Dasher is prosecuting the case for the federal government.