7 South Carolina Thieves Steal $5 Million, Judge Excuses Behavior With Surprising Sentence

Seven South Carolina women have pleaded guilty to more than $20,000 in food stamp fraud.

The three owners of a store in Rock Hill, South Carolina, still face prison time in connection with a $5 million food stamp trafficking scheme, according to The Herald.

Seven women have come forward and pleaded guilty to fraudulently receiving food stamps. All of the women have agreed to pay the money back to avoid prison time and probation.

The women who pleaded guilty are: Kimberly Johnson, 28, $2,195 in fraud; Dequitta White, 31, $3,070; Jatonica Williams, 31, $5,238; Victoria Sanders, 25, $2,234; Brooke Rogers, 27, $2134; Labrecia White, 24, $2,962; and Shenisa Davis, 36, $2,549.

Johnson pleaded guilty on her own, while the others pleaded guilty in groups of three.

The women will avoid spending time in prison on felony food stamp fraud charges due to their pleas and agreeing to pay back the money. Each woman was sentenced to 30 days in jail, but the sentences were suspended. If the money is paid back by Dec. 31, they will be dismissed from two years of probation as well.

The owners of the store now face prison time and may be ordered to pay back as much as $5 million.

The Herald reports that South Carolina has been cracking down on a scam that involves cash payoffs for food stamp purchases of excluded items such as beer, gas and cigarettes. The scam was uncovered at the Daily Express mart in Rock Hill in 2016.

The owners of the Daily Express mart, Li Fang Phu, Hoang Nguyen and Dianne Phu, all pleaded guilty in 2016 to a fraud scheme that they have been running for several years.

South Carolina Assistant Attorney General Sam Jones says food stamps are only allowed to be used for the purchase of nonprepared food and that no cash should be returned when food stamps are used.

The owners of the store may have their sentences reduced in exchange for their cooperation in testifying against food stamp users who received illegal cash and goods. The three will be sentenced in federal court following the conclusion of their work as cooperating witnesses.

Readers shared their thoughts on the story on the Mad World News Facebook page.

“Not even community service??” One reader commented. “What is this judge thinking?? They also should not be allow to get any services from the government!! They abused the system…they should not use it again in any state!!”

“I agree they should serve time,” another user wrote. “If they hadn’t been caught they could have stolen more of our money. Don’t these do-gooder ( the judges) understand that it’s their money to that is being stolen? Make examples of these people and it might help stop some of this.”

Sources: The Herald, Mad World News/Facebook / Featured Image: Pixabay / Embedded Images: Andrew Dys/The Herald