A person would show the couple their EBT card, and they would use it to purchase items at the market
A couple is accused of trading fentanyl pills for food stamps outside a seafood market in Washington, investigators said.
A 56-year-old man and 51-year-old woman were arrested and charged in trafficking of food stamps, money laundering and violation of the uniform Controlled Substances Act, according to charging documents.
Investigators followed the couple from Aug. 26 to Dec. 3 in Seattle where they watched the two traffic fentanyl at the same location in exchange for people’s electronic benefit transfer, or EBT, benefits, documents state.
For months, the duo stood at the sidewalk outside Lam’s Seafood Market and waited for people to approach them, investigators said in the documents.
A person would show the couple their EBT card, and they would use it to purchase items at the market, documents state. The person would then go to the van parked at store before walking away, documents show.
On Sept. 15, an undercover officer approached the woman and she said she would give the officer pills in exchange for his EBT balance, documents show. Investigators said they believed these pills to be fentanyl.
A woman took the card and returned from the store with a shopping cart filled with items in white plastic bags, investigators said in the documents.
The man told the undercover officer he would give him 50 “blues” in exchange for the $250 that was spent using his food stamps, documents show.
Investigators also said they watched the man buy items they believed to be stolen from people outside the seafood market.
He was seen handing cash to people and then placing brand new items in his van, documents show.
Investigators arrested the couple on Dec. 7 after getting a search warrant for their home.
They found 1,000 fentanyl pills, 200 grams of crack cocaine and heroin, investigators said.
The man’s bail was set at $500,000, and the woman is being held on a $100,000 bail. Their next court hearing is Dec. 22.
Tags: Cocaine Counterfeit Oxy Drug Swap Drug Trafficking Fentanyl Heroin Opioid Crisis
