Overview
- Anwar Jouda, who was arrested Thursday in St. Lucie County, faces charges of grand theft, organized scheme to defraud and criminal use of personal identification information.
- State investigators say the scheme ran from 2021 to 2023 and diverted about $862,394.95 in federal SNAP benefits into personal bank accounts.
- Authorities allege Jouda and a co-defendant used the identity of a Miami Kwik Stop and submitted forged merchant applications and falsified banking documents to reroute deposits.
- Officials report some funds were allegedly wired to an individual in Ramallah in the West Bank and have referred evidence of those transfers to federal authorities for further investigation.
- State leaders framed the case as part of an intensified crackdown on organized SNAP fraud and warned the diversion of benefits deprived low-income families and children of needed food assistance.