Concerned Dad13
Junior Member
I live in Monroe County Michigan. I was visited at my job recently and a man claiming to be an officer came by and told me I needed to ask my manager to allow me to speak to him for about twenty minutes.
He asked that we go outside and flashed his badge. He asked me if I participated in a certain hobby. (Live action role playing) and I told him that I did. He informed me that I had angered someone in the organization that I played with and that they reported me for fraud. His tone became very taunting and unprofessional. It was pretty clear he was enjoying himself.
What he said was that he got a report saying that I was using my food stamp card to buy food for me and my friends to eat while participating in this game. And that this was "Trafficking" and a felony. I denied that. (As I haven't been doing that.) And then he produced pictures of a couple of my roommates at a local store using my card. I explained to him that I don't have a car and that sometimes will send my card with my roommates to pick up things for my kids and myself. He then said that he was at my house and didn't see any kids. He also questioned me about how I got to work without a car. I pointed out to him that my roommates drop me off.
He went on (with a big grin on his face) to explain to me that I was guilty of a felony and that I could either sign a document banning me from being on the EBT program and agree to pay the state back for all of the food my roommates bought for me, or go to court and face prison time.
I informed him that I was not aware that it was not acceptable to have my friends who are part of my household sometimes go to the store for me. He laughed in my face and continued to be personal. I asked him how he would catalog how much if any food was purchased by my roommates and how much of it was purchased by me. He offered to take me to his office to show me all the documentation he has.
I only recall ever sending my roommates to the store to pick things up with me maybe a half dozen times in the last year. (Meaning all the way back to last year). I cannot imagine that the amount purchased by them would even be significant.
I did some research to look into what he said and the definitions of "trafficking" I could find suggest that it means to sell food stamps for things other then food stamps. Not letting someone else use your card. Though the guidelines for your card which I apparently had not reviewed well enough did say that you should not let someone use your card it made no mention of what the penalty would be for doing so.
I have zero criminal history. I assume that if I am to be charged with a felony that I will be eligible for a court appointed lawyer.
Given the facts of the situation what am I looking at?
He asked that we go outside and flashed his badge. He asked me if I participated in a certain hobby. (Live action role playing) and I told him that I did. He informed me that I had angered someone in the organization that I played with and that they reported me for fraud. His tone became very taunting and unprofessional. It was pretty clear he was enjoying himself.
What he said was that he got a report saying that I was using my food stamp card to buy food for me and my friends to eat while participating in this game. And that this was "Trafficking" and a felony. I denied that. (As I haven't been doing that.) And then he produced pictures of a couple of my roommates at a local store using my card. I explained to him that I don't have a car and that sometimes will send my card with my roommates to pick up things for my kids and myself. He then said that he was at my house and didn't see any kids. He also questioned me about how I got to work without a car. I pointed out to him that my roommates drop me off.
He went on (with a big grin on his face) to explain to me that I was guilty of a felony and that I could either sign a document banning me from being on the EBT program and agree to pay the state back for all of the food my roommates bought for me, or go to court and face prison time.
I informed him that I was not aware that it was not acceptable to have my friends who are part of my household sometimes go to the store for me. He laughed in my face and continued to be personal. I asked him how he would catalog how much if any food was purchased by my roommates and how much of it was purchased by me. He offered to take me to his office to show me all the documentation he has.
I only recall ever sending my roommates to the store to pick things up with me maybe a half dozen times in the last year. (Meaning all the way back to last year). I cannot imagine that the amount purchased by them would even be significant.
I did some research to look into what he said and the definitions of "trafficking" I could find suggest that it means to sell food stamps for things other then food stamps. Not letting someone else use your card. Though the guidelines for your card which I apparently had not reviewed well enough did say that you should not let someone use your card it made no mention of what the penalty would be for doing so.
I have zero criminal history. I assume that if I am to be charged with a felony that I will be eligible for a court appointed lawyer.
Given the facts of the situation what am I looking at?
