Meatballs, mozzarella sticks, creamer and cases of bottled drinks made up much of the shopping that put two Pittsburgh restaurant owners in a courtroom. Rachna Anwar and Munir Chaudhri, a married couple, were each sentenced to seven years of probation, with the first year under electronic monitoring. Prosecutors said the food was bought with other people’s SNAP benefits.
The couple ran Lillen’s Restaurant and an adjoining deli at 535 East Ohio Street on Pittsburgh’s North Side. The scheme involved more than $178,000 in food stamp benefits, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office. The sentence did not include prison.
Discount EBT cards, big-box shopping
Attorney General Dave Sunday’s office announced the charges in January. Investigators said the pair bought EBT cards at a discount from benefit recipients, then used the cards to buy goods that were sold at the restaurant and deli. CBS Pittsburgh reported that investigators put the price at about half of a card’s balance…