A manager of a Miami-Dade food market has been arrested in connection with an elaborate scheme to defraud the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) of more than $275,000, authorities said. Fideli Othman Mohamad, 52, was charged with first-degree grand theft and fraudulently using identification information, as per an arrest warrant detailed by NBC Miami. Othman Mohamad managed the Seven Star Market in the Liberty City neighborhood and is accused of having used fake checks and forged signatures to improperly divert funds.
The fraudulent activity spanned a six-month period beginning in August 2022. Othman Mohamad allegedly utilized the ruse to not only embezzle from SNAP but to also line her pockets, to swiftly become filled with cash through ATM withdrawals and a series of personal purchases. According to investigative records, the funds were used at various retailers including Macy's and JCPenney, as well as for utility bills and purchases at other stores like Costco and Dollar Tree.
The operator of 7 Star Market at 1502 NW 60th St. in Miami's Liberty City neighborhood, Othman Mohamad, reportedly accrued an additional $313,000 by impersonating other merchants and redirecting their SNAP payments to her market's account. This information was brought to light by the Florida Department of Financial Services’ Bureau of Public Assistance Fraud and was corroborated by Local 10.
Federal and state investigators had been tracking the 7 Star Market after suspicious activity was noted. The U.S. Department of Agriculture conducted covert Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) tracking operations in March 2023, which eventually confirmed the illegal exchange of SNAP benefits for cash. "One terminal was clearly marked 'Food Only' while a second had been used to facilitate illicit trafficking transactions," states the report obtained by Local 10. This discovery tied directly back to Othman’s fraudulent banking activity.
Following her arrest, Othman Mohamad is now facing serious charges and is being held in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $100,000 bond.
