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The federal government just announced another round of indictments in its nationwide push against SNAP fraud, and a Lansing party-store owner is squarely in the crosshairs. The operator of Romario’s convenience store, Mohinder Singh, was charged by a federal grand jury as part of a coordinated Justice Department surge that officials say exposed millions in intended losses tied to SNAP trafficking.
Indictment in Lansing Part of DOJ’s National SNAP Crackdown
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan says Singh faces one count of theft or conversion of public money and nine counts of SNAP benefits fraud. Prosecutors allege he exchanged Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) benefits for cash and ineligible items, let customers use benefits to pay store debts, and even charged fees in SNAP benefits after extending credit. The government pegs the intended loss at roughly $1.09 million tied to the scheme.
Federal officials framed the Lansing case as one piece of a much larger enforcement sweep. Attorney General Todd Blanche and Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald touted the Justice Department’s first National USDA Benefits and Program Fraud Enforcement Surge, which the DOJ says targeted more than 40 defendants with nearly $45 million in intended losses — almost $42 million of that tied to SNAP. U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey and the USDA Office of Inspector General were part of the announcements, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris O’Connor is handling the Lansing prosecution.
How the Alleged Scheme Worked, According to Prosecutors
The indictment describes a simple but destructive retail trafficking playbook: a store owner swaps a dollar of SNAP benefits for about fifty cents in cash, or lets benefits stand in for debt payment, then pockets the rest or uses benefits to pay vendors and suppliers. That half-price “deal” does not help the poor — it strips benefits from the households that need them and hands value to fraudsters instead. Prosecutors say these schemes siphon taxpayer funds and steal from vulnerable families who depend on SNAP to put food on the table.
Why This Case Matters — And What It Exposes
On its face, the enforcement surge should get a conservative nod: fraud hurts taxpayers and the poor alike, and law enforcement deserves credit for going after both the big operators and the small fish who enable theft. But the broader picture is ugly. The DOJ’s numbers show that a relatively small set of schemes can drive tens of millions in intended losses. Michigan itself reported major fraud losses in prior years and only recently upgraded SNAP cards to chip technology — a step in the right direction, but not a panacea.
The Bottom Line: Accountability, Prevention, and Clear Consequences
We should applaud prosecutions that return stolen benefits and hold traffickers accountable. At the same time, lawmakers and state agencies must stop treating SNAP fraud as an inevitable side effect of compassion. Better vendor oversight, faster card-security updates, and stiffer penalties for organized trafficking would cut off the profit stream for these criminals. And yes, publicize the prosecutions — fraudsters need to learn that the risk of getting caught is rising.
As always, the indictment is an accusation and Mr. Singh is presumed innocent until proven guilty. If the evidence proves out, the courts should impose meaningful punishment to deter others. If not, the presumption of innocence must hold. Either way, the message needs to be clear: robbing the needy to line your pockets is not a business model the public will tolerate — and enforcement should be relentless until it stops paying off.
