[musicman]

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[raccoonradio]

more from Boston Herald—”“They’re using the cards to get cash.”-—

>>Dozens of Boston police officers and federal agents raided businesses in Chinatown and across the Bay State this morning in what sources said were investigations into possible EBT card misuses.

A law enforcement source said the multi-agency effort included agents from the IRS, U.S. attorney’s office, U.S. Department of Agriculture, the state auditor’s office and the state attorney general’s office.

Among the locations raided by investigators from the AG’s office and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are a Quincy gas station and convenience store where they arrested the owner and are expected to arrest customers for “fraudulent use of those EBT cards,” a source said. “They’re using the cards to get cash.”

Mayor Thomas M. Menino said the raids were the culmination of a 14-month probe. The probes come on the heels of a similar bust of a store on Blue Hill Avenue, as well as raids in Lynn that found store owners taking EBT cards in an alleged cash-for-crack exchange.

“It’s something that’s always being looked at,” Menino spokeswoman Dot Joyce said. “It’s a benefit that people need and it shouldn’t be abused.”

In Chinatown, officers are currently investigating businesses including the Cmart Supermarket at 690 Washington St., the Banh Mi New Saigon Sandwich shop at 696 Washington St. and the Mei Sum Vietnamese Bakery on Beach Street.

Police in uniform and plainclothes were blocking the doors of Cmart, preventing shoppers from going inside and creating a large crowd of onlookers on Knapp Street at the rear entrance.

“Shoppers are surprised to see this many cops in Chinatown, you rarely see this in the morning,” said Courtney Ho-Ha, executive director of Chinatown Main Street.

A press conference will be held later this afternoon.

http://bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1061125660&position=0

Howie Carr list ping.

[Aevery_Freeman]

Were they in the least concerned with those SELLING their EBT cards?

I suspect that may have resulted in a charge of "disparate impact."

Those evil Chinese taking advantage of po' folk again.

[FreeAtlanta]

If you are going to have EBT cards because the electronic tracking makes it easier than the old and embarrassingly obvious food stamps, then make it huge and awkward.

i.e.;

Make it so that you have to carry the thing in a backpack. Have the normal little magnetic strip that you can slide it through the readers, but make the card way over sized and embarrassing.

JMHO

[ExCTCitizen]

Some are suspected of paying cash for the food assistance cards, which are limited in how they are used. Last year, the Legislature voted to prohibit the use of EBT cards to buy alcohol, tobacco or lottery tickets.

You mean, you can't use EBT cards to get into AMUSEMENT PARKS or get drunk?? What a shame...must be Bush's Fault.../s

[WKUHilltopper]

“a special state commission recommended expanding those restrictions to include a ban on using the cards in nail salons, tattoo parlors, strip clubs and casinos.”

Why?? Sounds like a great place to recruit new Secret Service employees.

[cicero2k]

All this enforcement will do little.

Say I get $400 per month in food stamps. I go out and buy $400 worth of food monthly for everyone in my household including the room renter I found on Craigslist. They give me $400 in cash.

I take cash and buy, whatever.