Vance-Led Task Force Set to Charge 40-Plus in Alleged $40 Million SNAP Fraud Scheme
Vice President JD Vance is expected to unveil criminal charges against more than 40 defendants accused in an alleged $40 million SNAP fraud scheme, adding to $641 million the task force says it has uncovered so far.
WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance is expected to announce criminal charges Wednesday against more than 40 people accused of taking part in an alleged $40 million fraud scheme tied to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, according to a report from his federal anti-fraud task force.
A source familiar with the charges told Fox News Digital that Vance will reveal the cases as part of the administration’s push against fraud in federal benefit programs.
The new $40 million figure adds to a much larger running total. The task force says it has uncovered $641 million in SNAP fraud so far. More than 1,000 retailers have been removed from the program for violations that include criminal trafficking of benefits, while nearly 5,000 others have been suspended and fined a combined $44 million for administrative violations.
Devices destroyed and retailer approvals cut
The task force also reported actions it says have slowed the schemes. More than 2,200 illegal point-of-sale devices have been destroyed, and more than 2,000 retailer authorization numbers tied to compromised stores have been disabled. Those moves prevented more than $5 billion in potential fraudulent transactions, task force officials estimated, according to the source.
SNAP is a federally funded program that helps low-income households buy groceries. Benefits are loaded monthly onto electronic benefits transfer cards that recipients can use at authorized retailers for qualifying food.
A broader tally of fraud
The task force has reported $260.7 billion in fraud uncovered since Trump took office, and $72 billion in fraud stopped on an annualized basis, Fox News Digital reported.
The charges come a day after Trump, Vance and journalist Nick Shirley announced the Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program in the Oval Office on Oct. 20, offering cash rewards for tips that help catch fraudsters.
Vance has said recovering the money is hard once it is spent. “Getting money back is very hard,” he said in an August interview with Fox News Digital. “Once it’s gone out the door, it’s very hard to get it back.”
“What we’ve done most effectively is actually just stop the money from going out the door in the first place, because that’s the only real way to ensure the American people don’t lose it,” he added.
Reporting based on coverage by Fox News Digital.
