Two women were sent to federal prison for their roles in a scheme to buy food using government aid programs before the items were ultimately resold in Mexico — totaling 75 tons and an excess of $1 million in proceeds.
BROWNSVILLE, Texas —
Late last week, 51-year-old Ana Rioja, the owner of a local meat market and 55-year-old Maria Consuelo Ureno, a legal permanent resident from Mexico, were sentenced to 30 months and 37 months in prison respectively. The court also ordered that each woman pay approximately $1 million in restitution. The women pleaded guilty to one count apiece of conspiring to defraud a government assistance program in May 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.
Between 2014 and 2019, the two women carried out 715 fraudulent transactions from 83 different SNAP partners. According to authorities, ultimately 50 tons of cheese, 22 tons of beans, 1.5 tons of coffee, 1.5 tons of instant mashed potatoes, and 5,000 gallons of mayonnaise were unlawfully acquired and resold in Mexico.
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