Two Boston Store Owners Charged in Alleged $7 Million SNAP Fraud Scheme
Written by b87fm on 12/19/2025
Two Boston men are facing federal charges after prosecutors accused them of running a massive scheme that trafficked nearly $7 million in SNAP benefits through two small neighborhood storefronts.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts, Antonio Bonheur, 74, the owner of Jesula Variety Store, and Saul Alisme, 21, the owner of Saul Mache Mixe Store, were arrested Wednesday and charged by federal complaint with food stamp fraud.
Investigators said the red flags were impossible to ignore. Despite being small shops with limited inventory, the stores reported monthly SNAP redemptions ranging from $100,000 to $500,000 — numbers typically seen at full-scale supermarkets, not corner stores. More than 70% of SNAP transactions at the shops exceeded $95, while only about 10% were under $40, a spending pattern authorities say strongly indicates benefit trafficking.
Federal agents allege that undercover operations documented SNAP benefits being illegally exchanged for cash at both stores on multiple occasions. Prosecutors also claim the shops accepted SNAP benefits in exchange for liquor, which is strictly prohibited under program rules.
The investigation further alleges that the defendants sold MannaPack meals — humanitarian food donations intended for malnourished children overseas — for roughly $8 per package, turning donated aid into personal profit. Authorities say illicit SNAP proceeds were then funneled through secondary bank accounts in an attempt to conceal the activity.
Both men are charged with one count of food stamp fraud. If convicted of trafficking more than $100 in benefits, they each face up to five years in federal prison, along with supervised release and financial penalties.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime & Gang Unit, with assistance from the USDA Office of Inspector General, the FBI, and the Boston Police Department.
Federal officials say SNAP fraud remains a major enforcement priority, as the program is designed to help low-income families afford food — not to enrich store owners.
“This is taxpayer money meant to keep people from going hungry,” said U.S. Attorney Leah Foley. “These defendants decided to take it for themselves.”
