Two Pittsburgh Convenience Store Employees Charged with Food Stamp Trafficking as Part of Nationwide Health Care Fraud Takedown

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Today, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced criminal charges against two defendants in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud the United States Department of Agriculture. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice's 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The charges stem from the two defendants exchanging Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or food stamp, benefits for cash, allowing certain beneficiary recipients to use this cash to purchase illegal controlled substances.

"Giving customers cash for their SNAP benefits is against the law and violates the clear rules and regulations of a program designed to provide nutritional assistance to families in need," said United States Attorney Rivetti. "We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute individuals who attempt to take advantage of both recipients and taxpayers by compromising the integrity of important public health programs and illegally trafficking SNAP and other government benefits."

The charges announced today by United States Attorney Rivetti are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. Today's Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI's Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of over $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor's offices to corporate boardrooms.

Today's coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including:

• Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers.
• 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers.
• Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million.
• 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025.

The following individuals were charged in the Western District of Pennsylvania:

Abdou Jallow, 55, and Alicia Mastrantoni, 39, both of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were charged by Criminal Complaint with food stamp fraud in connection with exchanging SNAP benefits for cash. As alleged in the complaint, Jallow, manager of a Pittsburgh convenience store, and Mastrantoni, an employee of the same store, exchanged these SNAP benefits for cash for various store customers, many of whom used this cash to purchase illegal controlled substances. Jallow and Mastrantoni attempted to conceal the nature of these transactions by using fraudulent universal product codes (UPCs) on the store's cash register. The store was identified as being involved in fraud through the SNAP benefit transactions, which were significantly high in both volume and dollar amount. It is believed that Jallow and Mastrantoni fraudulently exchanged over $550,000 in SNAP benefits over the course of the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole A. Stockey of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

"Exploiting a vital nutrition program for personal profit and to fuel drug abuse is a betrayal of the communities these benefits are intended to support," said Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia Nathan Abel. "The charges announced today demonstrate the commitment of HSI Philadelphia and our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who defraud the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and threaten public safety. We will continue to trace illicit funds, safeguard taxpayer resources, and hold accountable anyone who seeks to exploit vulnerable families for personal gain."

The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit's National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys' Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Hawaii, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nebraska, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General's Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virginia participated in the investigation of federal cases announced today.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, in particular, worked with the Department's Health Care Fraud Unit of the Fraud Division, as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Pennsylvania State Police Organized Crime Unit West to investigate and prosecute the case filed during the Takedown.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on 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.

An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.