BEAUMONT, Texas — A Beaumont restaurant owner, as well as 61 others have been indicted on fraud charges alleging that thousands of dollars in food bought with 'food stamps' was sold in a Beaumont restaurant.
Johnny Ray Coleman and 61 other people are accused of electronic benefits transfer fraud, Jefferson County District Attorney spokesperson Leanne Winfrey said in a previous news release.
The DA's office called it "a scheme involving the fraudulent use of benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits" wherein $71,000 worth of food were sold at a Beaumont restaurant.
Investigators discovered over 300 purchases from over 92 different EBT cards from over 61 SNAP recipients, totaling over $71,000 of food used at the restaurant based on evidence seized, Wortham said.
The Jefferson County District Attorney's Office has released these names of those who have been arrested and bonded out since the indictments:
- Johnny Ray Coleman
- Paula Annice Almesticia
- Bridgette Brown
- Cheryl Brown
- Mark Brown
- Khristie T. Carrier
- Mary L. Carrier
- Pleshette Carrington
- Richard L. Charles
- Thyrza Bernice Guillory
- Calvin J. Jackson
- Kamela Denise Labeaux
- Christy Lynn Lapoint
- Godfrey Saxon Nobles
- Joshua Wayne Peltier
- Deidra Leanne Pugh
- Tonya Reed
- Kaitlyn A. Smith
- Denisia D. Sykes
- Cheryl Trainer
- Ashley Williams
- Destiny Williams
- Larry F. Williams
Mugshots released of those charged in Beaumont 'food stamp' fraud case
Investigators executed a search warrant at Coleman's Burger Deli, located at 4192 Highland in Beaumont based on information from the Texas Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.