Federal prosecutors in Massachusetts have charged two Haitian immigrants in connection with what authorities describe as a large-scale scheme to traffic millions of dollars in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits through two small retail stores in Boston.
The charges were announced in a federal indictment unsealed in mid-December 2025 by the office of U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
According to prosecutors, 74-year-old Antonio Bonheur, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Haiti, and 21-year-old Saul Alisme, a lawful permanent resident, are accused of abusing SNAP—commonly known as food stamps—by exchanging benefits for cash rather than eligible food items. Authorities allege the scheme operated for roughly 20 months and involved nearly $7 million in SNAP benefits.
The case centers on two businesses—Jesula Variety Store and Saul Maché Mixé Store—co-located within a single storefront in Boston’s Mattapan neighborhood. Federal prosecutors say the stores were extremely small, measuring approximately 150 square feet and 500 square feet, and carried very limited food inventory. Despite this, investigators allege the stores redeemed between $100,000 and $500,000 in SNAP benefits per month, far exceeding what comparable full-service supermarkets in the area typically process.
“These were not supermarkets. They were not full-service groceries. It would be a huge stretch to even call them convenience stores,” said Leah Foley, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, speaking at a press conference last Wednesday. “The only thing convenient about these stores was how easy it was to commit SNAP benefit fraud.”
Investigators allege that undercover agents repeatedly observed customers swiping SNAP cards and receiving cash instead of groceries, with the store operators keeping a portion of the benefits. Prosecutors also claim the stores sold SNAP-ineligible items, including alcohol, and at times resold donated food products not intended for retail sale. The indictment further alleges that proceeds from the scheme were routed through multiple bank accounts to conceal their origin.
“This was not a sophisticated fraud scheme, and it didn’t have to be,” Foley said. “A lack of oversight was all that was needed to allow it to happen.”
Both Bonheur and Alisme are charged with one count of food stamp fraud. If convicted, they each face up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and fines of up to $250,000. The defendants have not entered pleas, and the allegations outlined in the indictment remain unproven.
Prosecutors said the vast majority of the alleged fraud occurred at the Jesula Variety Store.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey said state officials flagged suspicious SNAP transactions linked to the store more than a year ago and referred the matter to federal authorities.
“My administration reported this suspicious activity to the federal government for investigation and prosecution over a year ago,” Healey said in a statement. “As a former attorney general and now governor, I will always support prosecution to the fullest extent of the law for anyone who engages in fraud or abuse of a federal program or any program.”
