Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, August 18, 1995 TAG: 9508180023
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLOR STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The violations involved "discounting" - buying food stamps from a recipient at less than full value.
During a random store sweep through Roanoke this year, undercover U.S. Department of Agriculture investigators used food stamps to purchase items at the Speedway Mart on 13th Street Southwest.
Store owner Fahed Tawalbeh and two of his employees on two occasions offered to buy the coupons from investigators, once giving $65 in cash for $130 worth of food stamps and another time giving $240 cash for $480 worth of food stamps, said Kim Jabat, public affairs specialist for the USDA.
"In that instance, the person wasn't even getting back full value of the food stamps," Jabat said. "That's the discounting part of it. Store owners then redeem the food stamps for the full amount and make a profit."
Tawalbeh, who is out of the country, was not available for comment.
Kazem J. Abdelmajid, owner of Cove Market on Cove Road Northwest, was disqualified because one of his employees bought $200 worth of food stamps for $100 and on another occasion bought $205 worth of food stamps for $75 - both times from undercover USDA investigators, Jabat said. The investigators were acting on a tip.
Abdelmajid was not involved in the trafficking; however, as store owner, he was responsible for food stamp transactions that took place in his store.
The violations happened three years ago. Abdelmajid said this week that he tried to appeal the disqualification but was unsuccessful.
The disqualifications are permanent. The stores no longer can accept food stamps.
The two disqualifications bring the Roanoke total since Oct. 1 to four. Richmond has had eight disqualifications in that time, Jabat said, and Norfolk has had three.
Roanoke has 113 stores authorized to accept food stamps; Richmond, 300; and Norfolk, 232.
by CNB