HOURS AFTER THEIR ARRESTS.
COLLEEN:
NEW AT 5-- THE FORMER OWNERS OF
A MARKET ON THE WEST SIDE OF
COLUMBUS HAVE BEEN
CHARGED WITH FOOD STAMP FRAUD--
TOTALING
MORE THAN 10 MILLION DOLLARS.
MARK:
FEDERAL AUTHORITIES SAY THE
FRAUD WAS ONGOING CONSPIRACY FOR
ALMOST A DECADE. NBC4'S TED HART
IS LIVE OUTSIDE FEDERAL COURT
WITH HOW THIS HAPPENED
TED:
FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS SAY
BROTHERS HASSAN AND ABDURAHIM
NURISO...WERE ALLOWING CUSTOMERS
TO USE THEIR FOOD STAMP AND WIC
BENEFITS TO BUY THINGS THAT WERE
NOT PERMITTED UNDER THE
PROGRAMS... AND IN SOME CASES,
WERE
CONVERTING FOOD STAMP BENEFITS
FOR CASH....
IT'S A SOMALI SPECIALTY MARKET
ON SULLIVANT
AVENUE....SERVING MOSTLY THE
RESIDENTS OF THE WEDGEWOOD
NEIGHBORHOOD NEARBY.
NAT POP
NEW OWNERS SPRAY PAINTED OVER
SOME OF
THE PREVIOUS NAME OF THE
MARKET....WHERE,
INVESTIGATORS SAY, A MOUNTAIN OF
SMALL
FRAUDULENT TRANSACTIONS OVER A
TEN YEAR PERIOD...ADDED UP TO
MORE THAN 10 MILLION DOLLARS....
"ITS VERY CLEAR IN ALL THE
REGULATIONS WHAT YOU CAN AND
CAN'T DO.."
DAVE BOSLEY, ASST. U.S.
ATTORNEY: "YOU CAN'T GIVE FOOD
STAMPS FOR CASH, YOU CAN'T BUY
ITEMS THAT ARE NOT ALLOWED
UNDER THE FOOD STAMP PROGRAM.
YOU CAN'T BUY THINGS THAT AREN'T
FOOD. YOU CAN'T GIVE CREDIT."
NAT - BARBER SHOP
A FEW DOORS DOWN, BARBER YAHYA
MOHAMMED SAYS THE NURISO BOTHERS
MAY
HAVE VIOLATED THE LAW - BUT
THEIR HEARTS ARE IN THE RIGHT
PLACE...
YAHYA MOHAMMED, BARBER
"YOU SEE WHERE WE LIVE. YOU SEE
WHERE PEOPLE LIVE RIGHT NOW. IN
WEDGWOOD. ITS STRAIGHT BAD BACK
THERE. PEOPLE JUST
TRYING TO SURVIVE. THEY GET
FOOD STAMPS. THEY CAN'T BUY A
LOT OF THINGS WITH FOOD
STAMPS."
THE FEDERAL INDICTMENT CITES
NUMEROUS
EXAMPLES OF WITNESSES USING FOOD
STAMPS TO
BUY DISH SOAP AND SHAMPOO AT THE
MARKET...IN VIOLATION OF THE
PROGRAMS RULES...
"HE'S JUST HERE TO HELP THE
COMMUNITY THAT COMES WHERE HE
COMES FROM... AND PEOPLE CAN'T
AFFORD THAT SOMETIMES...SO OF
COURSE HE'S GOING TO SELL IT TO
THEM."
TED:
HASSAN AND ABDURAHIM NORISO ARE
CHARGED
WITH CONSPIRACY, FRAUD AND THEFT
OF PUBLIC FUNDS. WE WERE UNABLE
TO REACH THEM FOR COMMENT.
LOCAL FOR YOU AND LIVE AT
FEDERAL COURT, TED HART NBC 4.
MARK:
MORE THAN FOUR MONTHS AFTER A
BABY DIED FROM A SUSPECTED
FENTANYL OVERDOSE, HIS PARENTS
MADE THEIR FIRST COURT
APPEARANCE.
MARK:
