Erie Convenience Store Owner Sentenced for Food Stamp Fraud Scheme

ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to one day in jail, to be followed by one year of home detention and two years of supervised release and ordered to make $111,562.00 in restitution on his conviction of theft of government property, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Jasmin Omanovic, 38.

According to information presented to the court, from October 2011 to February 2015, Omanovic, who was the owner and operator of International Market in Erie, committed food stamp fraud by exchanging food stamps for cash at fifty percent of face value. Omanovic also exchanged food stamps for ineligible items. He also allowed customers to pay off store debt with food stamps and he took customers’ EBT cards and used them at Walmart to restock his shelves.

Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Brady commended the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, the Erie Bureau of Police and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Omanovic.