Columbia, SC (WLTX) - A Columbia man will spend two years in prison and must pay back over $1 million after stealing money from the food stamp program.
Christopher O'Berry, 43, was sentenced to 27 months behind bars by a federal judge for theft of government money.
Officers say he ran Cynthia's Soul Food Deli. The business had been registered to receive SNAP benefits, but prosecutors say SNAP does not pay for prepared food.
The government says Berry allowed people who receive SNAP to make small purchases at the store, then processed them as much larger amounts. He'd then keep some of the money for himself, and pay some cash back to the SNAP recipient.
Eventually, investigators traced the money he's been taking back to a bank account that Berry controlled. Between May of 2011 and December of 2014, prosecutors say Berry deposited $956,006 into the account. He then withdrew $158,000 in cash, and put $714,000 in his personal account.
“SNAP is an important source of critical funding to South Carolinians most in need, including the elderly and young families," said U.S. Attorney Beth Drake. "When the unscrupulous or dishonest defraud the program- and that includes businesses and recipients of SNAP benefits- they are both stealing from the tax payers and eroding a program that does a lot of good.”
