ALBANY, Ga. (WTXL) - The former co-owner of a Donalsonville grocery store and ten customers have pled guilty to charges related to defrauding the federal food stamp program, a prosecutor said.
Garland Alford, 75, of Donalsonville, the former co-owner of Lake Flea Market & FDR Grocery, located south of Donalsonville, pled guilty to two counts of acquiring Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Benefits (food stamp benefits) by fraud on Tuesday.
Alford's plea subjects him to a maximum sentence of ten (10) years in prison and fines of $500,000.
"The purpose of the food stamp program is to feed low-income families, not enrich people," said Charles "Charlie" Peeler, the U.S. Attorney. "This office will vigorously prosecute both store owners and food stamp recipients who abuse the system, and attempt to defraud the government."
In addition, ten 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, GA, Kaneesha Wooten, 23, of Bainbridge, GA, Wendy Mitchell Prickett, 44, of Nashville, TN, and Antonio Gardner, 35, Victoria Henry, 47, Jemifer Johnson, 30, Renee Kimble, 41, Crystal Maxwell, 36, Rosanna Roupe, 33, and Kayla Wallace, 26, all of Donalsonville.
Their pleas subject them to maximum sentences of five years in prison and $250,000 in fines.
Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 6, 2019.
According to the plea agreements, 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.
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 many of the items on the store's shelves and in the freezers were well past their "sell by" date.
