A Pembroke Pines woman is accused of pulling off a months-long food-assistance scam that investigators say drained benefits from roughly 200 people across Broward County. Detectives with the Broward Sheriff’s Office say 43-year-old Tamica Brown stole Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funds, leaving victims to find out at the checkout line that their grocery money was gone.
Brown faces charges that include criminal use of personal identification information and trafficking in counterfeit credit cards, and she is being held at the Paul Rein Detention Facility on a $300,000 bond. Investigators say an eight-month probe tracked a pattern of unauthorized electronic purchases, often involving high-demand energy drinks, and that about 30 victims have been interviewed so far. Authorities estimate losses of more than $120,000, with victims ranging from a single mother of three to a 95-year-old woman.
According to WPLG Local 10, the investigation kicked off on July 20, 2025, when deputies were called to the Walmart at 4700 S. Flamingo Road in Cooper City. A customer reported an unauthorized transaction on an EBT card, which set the case in motion. BSO spokeswoman Claudinne Caro said in a news release that card numbers, PINs and account balances were illegally obtained, then transmitted electronically to Brown.
How detectives say the scheme worked
BSO described Brown as running “an organized fraud scheme” that quietly siphoned off benefits from unsuspecting residents. Detectives say stolen card numbers and PINs were sent to Brown electronically, then used to make unauthorized EBT purchases.
Investigators told reporters that many of those purchases were for energy drinks like Red Bull and Celsius, which were then resold to corner stores and convenience shops for cash. Victims typically discovered the problem when they tried to buy groceries and found their EBT balances wiped out. Detectives have spoken with about 30 of those victims so far, as reported by WPLG Local 10.
Bigger picture: EBT theft and policy
Cases like this are part of a larger trend. SNAP EBT theft has been popping up nationwide in recent years, prompting new guidance from federal agencies and more scrutiny on how benefits are protected at store checkout systems.
The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service maintains a resource page on stolen benefits and notes that states have reported incidents while the overall data are still incomplete. Federal lawmakers and investigators have been pressing for tighter security around EBT transactions. Reporting by the AP and a Government Accountability Office review has detailed how organized fraud and card-skimming operations can drain benefits and make it harder for victims to get help.
What victims should do
Anyone who thinks their EBT card has been used without permission is urged to act quickly. That includes checking the current balance, changing the PIN or locking the card through their state’s EBT portal or the ConnectEBT app, and filing a police report.
Locally, residents can look up custody and booking information through the Broward Sheriff’s Office arrest search or contact law enforcement directly for assistance. The USDA’s stolen-benefits guidance also spells out steps victims should take and how to reach state SNAP agencies for support.
Legal implications
Brown’s arrest is part of an active criminal investigation, and the charges against her remain allegations. She is presumed innocent unless and until she is proven guilty in court.
Pembroke Pines police took Brown into custody on a Broward Sheriff’s Office warrant, and the State Attorney’s Office will decide whether to file formal charges as detectives continue gathering evidence.
