SPARKS, Nev. (AP) — The owner of a Sparks liquor store has been arrested on charges of food stamp fraud.
State law enforcement officers say they arrested 49-year-old Lokman Houssain Babu on Monday after serving search warrants on his SUV and his Bank of American business account as well as the Discount Center Liquor and Convenience Store he owns on Oddie Boulevard.
Detectives say Babu and other store employees bought food stamps on Electronic Benefit Transfer cards from customers for 50 cents on the dollar. They're accused of acting as a broker to distribute the cards to others and using them at full face value to buy food for themselves or businesses.
The state Welfare Fraud Unit, Washoe County sheriff and Nevada Department of Public Safety launched the investigation last summer.
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