Food stamp probe

Nine Rensselaer County businesses removed from food stamp program

Nine Rensselaer County businesses removed from SNAP benefits program.

Nine Rensselaer County businesses were investigated in the past week as part of a federal and local investigation into the way they handled food stamp benefits, officials said Saturday.

The investigation led to each of the businesses closing and being removed from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits program, according to a statement from county Director of Operations Rich Crist. Four shops remained closed over the weekend.

Forty officers from nine agencies took part, the statement said, seizing “a large amount of evidence,” including $25,000, along with Electronic Benefit Transfer machines and cards, marijuana, untaxed cigarettes and business records.

“This major enforcement action shows that in Rensselaer County we take very seriously the responsibility to provide benefits to those in need without fraud or abuse,” County Executive Steve Mclaughlin said in the statement. “We appreciate the strong cooperation of partners from the USDA to police and code enforcement officials in joining to ensure the integrity of these programs,” Mclaughlin said.

But a worker at one of the stores told the Times Union her shop was only closed because of a code violation — and said she was bewildered as to why officials are naming her store along with others accused of fraud. Seven of the stores were in Troy, two in East Greenbush.

And though the news release said the stores are unable to process EBT benefits, a sign sat outside one of the stores Saturday afternoon said, “We accept EBT.”

County officials listed the store’s names but did not make clear specifi

cally what they were cited for. Crist did not respond to messages for further details.

The nine stores being investigated are:

■ 5 Star Food Market Li, Inc., 281 Congress St., Troy

■ NBT Service Center, AKA EZBZ Enterprises, 775 Columbia Tpke., East Greenbush

■ M&A Mart, 34 Fifth Ave., Troy

■ I Love NY Deli & Groceries, 664 Fifth Ave., Troy

■ Shree Bhavani Inc., AKA Hampton Market and Deli, 107 Hampton Ave., Rensselaer (town of East Greenbush)

■ Deli Express, 70 Jefferson St., Troy

■ Sheikh T. Deli, 661 Sec

ond Ave., Troy

■ Troy 5 Star Food Market, 380 5th Avenue, Troy

■ Congress Street Market, 353 Congress St., Troy

On Saturday afternoon, a woman holding a baby outside one of the closed shops said officials closed her store Thursday because the 70-year-old building was out of code. She pointed toward a notice taped to the front door saying the building was condemned and said she was confused as to why investigators included her shop in a news release about a food stamp case.

She declined to comment further, citing the advice of her attorney.

Crist said in the release that a news conference about the investigation may be held next week.

The investigations were

carried out by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Special Investigations Unit of the Rensselaer County Department of Social Services, Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Department, Troy Police Department, East Greenbush Police Department, Schodack Police Department, New York State Department of Tax and Finance, Rensselaer County District Attorney’s Office and City of Troy Code Enforcement Unit.