A Chicago man has been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison after admitting he ran a years-long scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $1.5 million in federal food stamp benefits, which he used to purchase soda that he resold for a profit.
David Quinones, 45, pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges and was sentenced to 52 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger. The judge also ordered Quinones to pay $1,554,804 in restitution to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Prosecutors said from 2018 to 2023, Quinones paid cash to people enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP or food stamps, in exchange for access to their Link cards and PINs. He then used those cards to make bulk purchases of sodas, water, and snacks at retail stores and resold the goods to convenience stores and restaurants for profit…