A Michigan party store owner has been charged by a grand jury with nine counts of theft from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Lansing resident Mohinder Singh was caught in a nationwide SNAP fraud sting by the federal government.
Mohinder Singh, the operator of Romario’s convenience store in Lansing, was charged by a grand jury with theft or conversion of public money and nine counts of SNAP benefits fraud.
The indictment alleges that Singh unlawfully exchanged cash and other ineligible items for SNAP benefits with his customers and allowed some customers to use SNAP benefits to pay debts owed to him. Singh typically provided SNAP recipients with an exchange rate of $0.50 in U.S. currency per $1 of SNAP benefits transferred, according to the indictment. Singh allegedly charged a fee payable in SNAP benefits after extending credit to some of his customers. The government alleged that Singh intended more than $1,000,000 in loss to the government.
“These schemes siphoned millions from taxpayers and robbed struggling Americans of the benefits they depend on so fraudsters could use them for their own selfish purposes,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Through our partnership with the Department of Agriculture, this nationwide surge exposed and disrupted criminal networks that targeted vulnerable American families. The Department of Justice will continue working to root out fraud in every federal agency and program.”
Lansing party store owner charged with SNAP fraud as part of nationwide crackdown https://t.co/HsHLk68vwK
— The Midwesterner (@Th_Midwesterner) October 23, 2026
U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey joins the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division), the Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the USDA Office of Inspector General in announcing a nationwide enforcement surge.
This coordinated effort resulted in actions against more than 40 defendants whose alleged or proven schemes caused nearly $45,000,000 in intended losses to the federal government. Nearly $42,000,000 of that amount involved fraud against SNAP benefits, which provide monthly food assistance to low-income individuals and families.
“The integrity of the SNAP program is essential to supporting families who rely on it. When individuals or businesses engage in fraud, they deprive vulnerable communities of vital resources,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey. “Our office remains committed to pursuing those who exploit this program and ensuring taxpayer funds are protected.”
If convicted of theft or conversion of public money, Singh faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Additionally, Singh faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each count of SNAP benefits fraud.
In 2024, criminals stole about $14,000,000 from Michigan's state-run SNAP program. In 2026, the state upgraded its SNAP cards from magnetic stripes to an embedded chip card, a change that private banks made in 2015 to deter card-skimming.
The USDA Office of Inspector General is investigating this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris O’Connor is prosecuting it.
The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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