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U.S. Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General

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Wayne Couple Admits Buying $4.5M Worth Of Food Stamps From Their Paterson Grocery Wayne Couple Admits Buying $4.5M Worth Of Food Stamps From Their Paterson Grocery
Wayne Couple Admits Buying $4.5M Worth Of Food Stamps From Their Paterson Grocery A married Wayne couple who managed a grocery store in Paterson under someone else's name admitted Wednesday in federal court that they bought $4.5 million worth of food stamps from customers. Ibrahim Zughbi, 65, and his 61-year-old wife, Miriam, opened Jamaica Meat Market, a medium-size grocery store, in January 2014. They were authorized to accept benefits provided by SNAP -- formerly known as the Food Stamp Program -- which is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. Noticing a high volume deducted electronically through SNAP debit card…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Convict Admits More Crimes In Dog-Fighting Ring That Stretched From NJ To New Mexico Convict Admits More Crimes In Dog-Fighting Ring That Stretched From NJ To New Mexico
Convict Admits More Crimes In Dog-Fighting Ring That Stretched From NJ To New Mexico An Albuquerque man already convicted in a multi-state dogfighting ring that stretched from New Jersey to New Mexico pleaded guilty to additional charges in federal court last week, authorities said Tuesday. Robert Arellano, 64, trafficked fighting dogs for six years, beginning in 2012, while maintaining "a collection of dog fighting videos, records, how-to materials, and photograph," U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito. "Arellano meticulously recorded the dogs’ fighting pedigrees and histories, previous fights and kills, serious injuries they inflicted on other dogs or sustained themselves, and f…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Jurors Convict 4 In Dog-Fighting Ring That Stretched From NJ To New Mexico Jurors Convict 4 In Dog-Fighting Ring That Stretched From NJ To New Mexico
Jurors Convict 4 In Dog-Fighting Ring That Stretched From NJ To New Mexico Federal jurors needed six hours of deliberations to convict four men for their roles in a multi-state dog-fighting ring that stretched from New Jersey to New Mexico -- with various states in-between. The quartet conspired to “sponsor and exhibit dogs in animal fighting ventures and to buy, sell, possess, train, transport, deliver and receive dogs for purposes of having the dogs participate in animal fighting ventures,” U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said Wednesday. “Dog fighting is vicious and cruel,” Carpenito said. “And beyond the needless suffering it inflicts on animals, it exacts a toll…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Jersey Shore Dog Fighter Who Dumped Dead Pit Bull In Trash Goes To Fed Pen Jersey Shore Dog Fighter Who Dumped Dead Pit Bull In Trash Goes To Fed Pen
Jersey Shore Dog Fighter Who Dumped Dead Pit Bull In Trash Goes To Fed Pen An Asbury Park man who dumped his dead dog in a trash bin after a lost fight in Virginia was sentenced to a plea-bargained two years in federal prison Wednesday. Mario Atkinson, 42, of Asbury Park was the fifth defendant to plead guilty in a multi-state dog fighting case that stretched from New Jersey to New Mexico. There's no parole in the federal prison system, which means he'll have to serve just about all of his sentence. During his guilty plea last June, Atkinson told a judge that he dumped a pit bull of his who lost a $1,000 fight in Virginia after the dog died on the ride back to New…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
4 Sent To Federal Prison In Dog-Fighting Ring That Stretched From NJ To NM 4 Sent To Federal Prison In Dog-Fighting Ring That Stretched From NJ To NM
4 Sent To Federal Prison In Dog-Fighting Ring That Stretched From NJ To NM Four men who participated in an interstate dog-fighting network that stretched from New Jersey to New Mexico were sentenced to varying federal prison sentences, authorities announced Monday. The last of them, 32-year-old Lydell "Sinn" Harris of Vineland was sentenced Monday to 17 months in prison. Sentenced earlier this month were: Anthony “Monte” Gaines, 37, of Vineland: 42 months; Frank Nichols, 40, of Millville: 57 months; Pedro Cuellar, 47, of Willow Springs, Illinois: 12 months in prison.  All four previously pleaded guilty. A fifth co-defendant, Mario Atkinson, 42, of Asbu…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Feds: Grocery Managers From Wayne Sold $4M Worth Of Food Stamps For Cash Feds: Grocery Managers From Wayne Sold $4M Worth Of Food Stamps For Cash
Feds: Grocery Managers From Wayne Sold $4M Worth Of Food Stamps For Cash WAYNE, N.J. -- A married Wayne couple who managed a grocery store sold $4 million worth of food stamps for cash, federal authorities charged. Ibrahim Zughbi, 64, Miriam Zughbi, 59, have operated Jamaica Meat Market, a medium-size grocery store in Paterson, since January 2014. They were authorized to accept benefits provided by SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said."Retail food stores approved for participation in SNAP may sell food in exchange for SNAP benefits," Carpenito sai…

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by Jerry DeMarco