Chicago Store Operators Jorag Yaseen and Rami Kanaan Indicted, Accused of Running $29.7 Million Through Stolen EBT Accounts

Published Oct. 22, 2026. Case status is current as of that date.

When SNAP benefits disappear from an EBT card, the family that depends on them may not find out until the card is declined at the checkout. Federal prosecutors say two men running food stores in Chicago turned stolen EBT account information from Ohio and other states into one of the largest cases in a new nationwide SNAP fraud crackdown.

Jorag Yaseen and Rami Kanaan have been indicted in the Southern District of Ohio on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, the Justice Department announced on Oct. 21, 2026 [1]. Prosecutors put the estimated loss to the United States at about $29.7 million, the largest single amount among the "notable cases" the department listed.

Important: Yaseen and Kanaan have been charged, not convicted. "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," the Justice Department said [1].

Status: Indicted (S.D. Ohio, Case No. 3:26-cr-00099-TMR). The Justice Department did not announce arrests, court dates or the defendants' ages or hometowns (status pending).

How the scheme allegedly worked

According to the indictment, as summarized by the Justice Department [1]:

• Authorized stores. Yaseen and Kanaan "operated approved retail food stores in Chicago, Illinois," meaning the stores were allowed to accept SNAP.
• Stolen account data. Between about February 2024 and April 2025, the defendants and others allegedly "processed thousands of transactions using stolen Ohio and other state EBT account information."
• Sales that never happened. The transactions "falsely appeared to represent legitimate purchases of authorized food products, even though no bona fide sales occurred," prosecutors allege.
• Federal money out. The scheme allegedly caused state administrators to transfer millions of dollars in federal funds to accounts controlled by the defendants and others.
• Cars overseas. Some of the proceeds were allegedly used "to purchase automobiles for use and shipment overseas."

The indictment identifies three wire transactions on March 4, 2024, totaling $1,243.46, involving one stolen Ohio EBT card, according to the release [1]. The case is being prosecuted by Fraud Division deputy chiefs Ryan Saunders and Brian McDonough for the Southern District of Ohio. FOX19 in Cincinnati reported on the indictment in its coverage of an Oct. 21 briefing on the surge at the FBI's Cincinnati Field Office [2].

The bigger picture

The case was announced as part of the Justice Department's first "National USDA Benefits and Program Fraud Enforcement Surge," carried out from Sept. 1 through Oct. 21 by the department's Fraud Division, 13 U.S. Attorney's Offices and the Utah Attorney General's Office. The department said the surge produced actions against more than 40 defendants, with nearly $42 million of the alleged or proven losses involving SNAP [1].

The same release describes how benefits can be stolen from real families. In a separate Oregon case, prosecutors say members of a conspiracy "obtained SNAP account information through skimming devices and other means" and used stolen benefits to buy large quantities of infant formula for resale. The department also described a mother who found out her benefits were gone only when her card was declined at a grocery store, and who "was forced to take out loans to feed her children" [1].

The Justice Department did not say how the EBT account information in the Yaseen and Kanaan case was stolen.

Red flags for EBT cardholders

• A declined EBT card or a balance lower than you expect.
• Transactions at stores you've never visited, especially out of state.
• Card readers that look tampered with (loose, bulky or misaligned parts over the card slot or keypad).
• Calls or texts asking for your EBT card number or PIN, or links claiming your benefits are "suspended."

What to do if you're targeted

1. Check your balance and transaction history often, using your state's EBT app, website or the phone number on the back of your card.
2. Change your PIN regularly, and right away if you think your card was skimmed. Never share the PIN.
3. Report stolen benefits to your state SNAP agency immediately, and ask for a replacement card.
4. Report suspected SNAP fraud to the USDA Office of Inspector General at usdaoig.oversight.gov [3].
5. If your personal information was used, report identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov [4].

Case status (as of Oct. 22, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status as of Oct. 22, 2026	Source
Jorag Yaseen	U.S. District Court, S.D. Ohio, No. 3:26-cr-00099-TMR	Indicted (conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering); arrest and court dates not announced (status pending); presumed innocent	[1][2]
Rami Kanaan	U.S. District Court, S.D. Ohio, No. 3:26-cr-00099-TMR	Indicted (same charges); arrest and court dates not announced (status pending); presumed innocent	[1][2]

Statuses can change. Those not convicted are presumed innocent.

Sources

1. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, "DOJ's Fraud Division, Department of Agriculture, and USDA OIG Uncover Nearly $42M in SNAP Benefit Fraud in Nationwide Enforcement Surge Involving Suspected Illegal Aliens," Oct. 21, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/dojs-fraud-division-department-agriculture-and-usda-oig-uncover-nearly-42m-snap-benefit
2. Mary LeBus, FOX19 (WXIX), "JD Vance discusses $42M in SNAP fraud, addresses Ramaswamy's controversial ad," Oct. 21, 2026. https://www.fox19.com/2026/10/21/jd-vance-42m-snap-fraud-uncovered/
3. USDA Office of Inspector General (accessed Oct. 22, 2026). https://usdaoig.oversight.gov/
4. Federal Trade Commission, IdentityTheft.gov (accessed Oct. 22, 2026). https://www.identitytheft.gov/

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