A Maine man was sentenced earlier this week in U.S. District Court in Portland to aggravated identity theft, false statements relating to healthcare matters, and unlawful use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Joseph Dobie, 38, to 36 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
Dobie was also ordered to pay $36,373.16 in restitution. He pleaded guilty on February 13, 2026.
Court records say that Dobie stole a victim’s identity, which he then used to obtain driver's licenses and a Social Security card.
Dobie used the stolen identity to apply for and receive SNAP benefits in Maine and New York. At the same time, Dobie was receiving SNAP benefits in New York using his true identity.
Dobie also used the stolen identity to apply for and receive healthcare benefits from MaineCare, Maine’s Medicaid program. In total, Dobie fraudulently obtained a total of $36,373.16 in benefits from SNAP and MaineCare.
Fraudster sentenced to three years in federal prison and ordered to pay $36,373 in restitution for aggravated identity theft and benefits fraud following an investigation by USDA OIG and HHS OIG. He fraudulently received SNAP benefits in Maine and New York and used the stolen… pic.twitter.com/RoDbO9UdlO
— USDA OIG (@OIGUSDA) August 28, 2026
SNAP mails cards nationwide to low-income families to help them buy groceries. The federal program is administered by state health departments.
SNAP helps feed about 41 million people nationwide, but many people abuse the program by hiding income, selling benefits for cash or non-eligible items such as alcohol, tobacco, or lottery tickets.
Some criminals copy the registration number of electronic benefit terminals, and retailers have been busted for using SNAP benefits to restock store shelves.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says that the federal government is cracking down on SNAP fraud nationwide.
🚨 TUESDAY TAKEDOWN 🚨
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) August 25, 2026
$19 MILLION in SNAP fraud.
Four men in South Florida have been federally charged in an alleged scheme to turn SNAP benefits meant to feed families into CASH.
According to @TheJusticeDept, the defendants allegedly used SNAP-authorized stores to run… pic.twitter.com/8aXcgOMWJz
Last week following a criminal investigation by USDA OIG and other law enforcement partners, a New York man was convicted and sentenced for SNAP fraud that cost American taxpayers $4.4 million. He exploited multiple retail store locations he operated in New York City to pull off… pic.twitter.com/fcOI1f3NQ4
— USDA OIG (@OIGUSDA) August 24, 2026
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, investigated the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division.
The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.