(WNY News Now) – ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A Rochester convenience store owner has admitted to defrauding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), causing nearly $247,000 in fraudulent transactions over four years.
Zina Amba Mbile Mbile, 45, pleaded guilty to food stamp fraud before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is set for May 21, 2025.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, SNAP provides federal assistance to low-income individuals to purchase food. Mbile, who operated Beni Food on Dewey Avenue, violated SNAP regulations between March 2020 and July 2024. Investigators found that she accepted SNAP benefits for ineligible non-food items, such as cosmetics, and exchanged cash for SNAP benefits, profiting from the transactions.
The fraudulent activities led to $246,890 being deposited into Beni Food’s bank accounts for food items that were never purchased.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Monroe County Department of Human Services.
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