Eight charged after probe finds misuse of food stamp cards in Brockton

By Sarah N. Mattero, Globe Correspondent

An undercover state trooper posing as a food stamp recipient was able to draw cash from an electronic benefits transfer card from five Brockton businesses, Plymouth County prosecutors said today. Eight people are facing charges after the sting opertaion.

The probe which began in May, uncovered a variety of scams involving misuse of the EBT cards, which are used to distribute food stamps and some cash benefits to the poor.

In a typical scheme, the clerk would enter a $100 grocery sale. The trooper would get $50 cash and the store would keep the remaining $50, District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz’s office said.

Five search warrants were obtained by investigators Wednesday and were executed at the B&D Mart on Montello Street; JP Communications on North Montello Street; and Lucky Dollar, Rice’s Market, and Dip N’ Sip, all on North Main Street.

Eight individuals, including both workers and store owners, were arrested on charges that included larceny, trafficking food stamps, access fraud, and procurement fraud, prosecutors said.