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MS 1020

(2)

3. A completed FS-111, Deferred Adjudication Disqualification Consent Agreement, signed by the recipient and the prosecuting attorney, is received; or

4. The claim has been adjudicated in court.

C. For allegations received and/or identified by field staff, a manual claim referral is created by accessing the benefit recovery through the Benefit Management tab on the Integrated Eligibility and Enrollment System (IEES).

D. [When allegations that an individual has trafficked SNAP benefits are received by the regional claims staff, use the following procedures:

1. Access the individual’s account on the EBT website and review transaction information for the period described in the allegation. Review transaction history for the following activity. Include only transactional data that would support a strong pattern of trafficking through clear and convincing evidence.

Review EBT transaction history for the following:

a. Whole dollar transactions. These indicate payments of credit accounts, cash transactions, or gas purchases.

b. Back-to-back transactions within a time period too short for the scanning of eligible items. This indicates ineligible sales or cash transactions.

c. Large purchases at a retailer that carries a limited or minimal amount of eligible food items. This indicates payments made on credit accounts or cash transactions.

d. Vendor location. Determine if the individual bypassed other EBT vendors in their area to make purchases at the vendor’s location identified by their EBT transactions. Utilize the SNAP Retailer Locator, which provides locations of retailers who accept SNAP benefits. Bypassing other vendors in their area indicates the individual has a unique reason for making transactions at that specific vendor. During the interview, question the individual regarding the reason.

Note: When retailer trafficking fraud is believed to be occurring by assisting the individual in committing fraud, the retailer should be submitted to IAS for the store to be investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

e. A large or questionable number of lost or stolen EBT cards and/or substantial requests for replacement EBT cards. This indicates the individual is selling the card, reporting it lost or stolen, and requesting a new EBT card and PIN to receive the next month’s benefits.