FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	CONTACT: Lauren Horwood
April 18, 2012	PHONE: (916) 554-2706
www.usdoj.gov/usao/cae	usacae.edcapress@usdoj.gov
Docket #: 2:11-cr-173 KJM

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that Sukhwinder Singh, 57, and Charan Singh Dhillon, 60, both of Stockton, were sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for food stamp fraud. As part of their sentence, Singh and Dhillon were ordered to pay $75,000 restitution and forfeit $90,000 and a 2004 BMW M3.

According to court documents, Singh and Dhillon are the owners and operators of Quick Stop Mart, a small gasoline station and convenience store in Stockton. Singh separately owns a similar store, Fast and Easy Mart, and Dhillon also owns a separate store, Quick and Stop Mart. Quick Stop Mart was authorized to redeem food stamps (now called SNAP benefits) in 2001. Fast and Easy Mart and Quick and Stop Mart were also approved to redeem food stamps shortly after they opened. When being accepted into the SNAP benefit program, the defendants were informed of the rules relating to food stamp redemptions: that food stamps cannot be redeemed for cash and may not be used to purchase nonfood items. Nevertheless, beginning in 2007, the defendants began illegally purchasing food stamps for cash, typically at 50 cents on the dollar. The USDA OIG’s investigation revealed that the defendants fraudulently redeemed $193,608 in food stamp benefits.

This case was the product of a extensive investigation by the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General and the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Jared C. Dolan prosecuted the case.

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