A 41-year-old Noble man has pleaded guilty to federal charges after admitting he built a fake farm stand to siphon off more than $212,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, using a stranger's stolen identity to get the business approved in the first place. Steven Eugene Melton Jr. now faces up to 20 years in federal prison at sentencing.
According to finchannel, U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester announced that Melton pleaded guilty to theft of government property and SNAP benefits fraud. The case involved a sham farm stand.
The Food and Nutrition Service approved the Wrights Farms application on June 6, 2023, the outlet's report states. From that point through May 2024, Wrights Farms processed roughly $212,194.58 in SNAP benefits drawn from fraudulent accounts that had themselves been obtained using fake or altered identification cards, per the same account.
A Sham Farm Stand
The case involved a sham farm stand.
A federal grand jury charged Melton on May 19, 2026, with theft of government property and SNAP benefits fraud.
Part of a Broader Federal Crackdown
The Department of Justice has a National Fraud Enforcement Division. The department has also referenced Vice President J.D. Vance's leadership in a whole-of-government fight against fraud.
SNAP fraud enforcement has drawn national attention beyond this single Oklahoma case. The U.S. Department of Justice has announced a nationwide series of enforcement actions targeting SNAP fraud through its Fraud Division, the Department of Agriculture, and the USDA Office of Inspector General.
Closer to home, Oklahoma Human Services has also been pursuing SNAP fraud cases. The agency announced it had completed a multi-county warrant roundup following what it described as a months-long investigation into alleged SNAP fraud, led by its Office of Inspector General.
How Retailers Get Caught
The federal system for catching fraudulent SNAP retailers relies heavily on data analysis and undercover work. The Congressional Research Service notes that the Food and Nutrition Service is responsible for identifying illegal trafficking activity through these methods, and that retailers found to have trafficked benefits can face permanent disqualification from SNAP, fines, and other penalties.
Melton's guilty plea resolves the criminal charges against him, but the case's final outcome still rests with sentencing. No sentencing date or final sentence has been reported.
