Please E-mail suggested additions, comments and/or corrections to Kent@MoreLaw.Com.
Date: 05-03-2021
Case Style:
Case Number: 2:20-cr-00237-WSS
Judge: William S. Stickman
Court: United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania (Allegheny County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: United States District Attorney’s Office
Defendant's Attorney:
Description: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania criminal defense lawyer represented defendant charged with conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud and money laundering.
Sin Y Sit, 46, of 502 Marie Street, Glassport, PA 15045, was charged with Conspiracy, Food Stamp Fraud, and Money Laundering Conspiracy.
Beginning in and around March 2014, and continuing until May 2017, the defendant engaged in acts of food stamp fraud and money laundering conspiracy. Sin Y Sit and his wife Qiao Jiang owned and operated Mei A. Asian Grocery in McKeesport, PA. Sit and Jiang allowed customers to unlawfully exchange food stamp credits under the USDA’s S.N.A.P. program for cash (the defendants paid out fifty cents on a dollar) and other ineligible grocery items, such as tobacco. The amount of fraud during the term of the conspiracy is between $250,000 and $550,000. The defendant also engaged in financial transactions involving cash withdrawals of money which had been transferred into the store’s business account by the USDA to reimburse the defendant and his store for the food stamp credits which had been scanned by the defendant and his customers at the store during the fraudulent transactions. The cash withdrawn by the defendant was then used by the defendant at his store to pay more customers in the unlawful use of the food stamp credits..
Assistant United States Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Kaufman commended the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security Investigations, and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Sin Y Sit.
18 U.S.C. 371 CONSPIRACY
(1)
7 U.S.C. 2024(b) FOOD STAMP FRAUD
(2)
18 U.S.C. 1956(h) MONEY LAUNDERING CONSPIRACY
(3)
Outcome: Defendant was sentenced to a 27 month term of imprisonment at Count 1, 27 months at Count 2, and 27 months at Count 3, to be served concurrently. This 27 month term of imprisonment is to be followed by a 2 year term of supervised release at Count 1, 2 years at Count 2, and 2 years at Count 3, to be served concurrently. $300.00 special assessment imposed. Fine waived for inability pay. Restitution ordered in the amount of $351,439.00.
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments: