Oregon Families Lose SNAP Benefits to $160,000 Scam and Are Told They Can’t Be Reimbursed
Oregon families who fell prey to scammers who stole more than $160,000 from SNAP recipients have been dealt a double blow – first the loss of their food benefits, and now they have been told that their loss cannot be reimbursed.
Two Romanians Steal More Than $160,000 SNAP Benefits
Yesterday, two Romanians, living in the U.S. illegally, appeared in the U.S. District Court in Portland and pleaded not guilty to conspiring to defraud the U.S. of more than $160,000.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office / District of Oregon court documents summary
Dailytidings.com
Other charges include access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession, production, and trafficking of device-making equipment.
Alexandru Telescu (29) and Aramis Manolea (35) are charged in a 26-count indictment. They were arraigned and ordered detained, pending trial.
Oregon Human Services Says Replacement Funds Ran Dry Last December
The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) confirmed that it is no longer authorized by Congress to replace stolen SNAP funds.
This came to light after a Eugene family complained that it had lost more than $700 in a scam. ODHS states that federal funding to replace benefits ran dry at the end of 2024 and has never been replenished.
The ODHS says scams are becoming increasingly prevalent. During the first half of September, there was a 50% increase in reported stolen benefits from EBT cards compared to July and August.
According to court documents, beginning in April 2025, Telescu and Manolea, together with accomplices, conspired to use stolen Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) account information and PINs to fraudulently purchase SNAP-eligible items.
They also conspired to possess and use electronic devices to steal EBT account information and PINs from point-of-sale terminals in Oregon and elsewhere.
Conspirators Used EBT Cards at Oregon Grocery Stores
The conspirators used the EBT cards at grocery stores in Oregon, Washington, and California to buy items such as energy drinks and infant formula. The stolen goods were packaged in storage containers and loaded into vans and trucks for delivery to California.
The court documents reveal that from July 4, 2025, until October 12, 2025, Telescu and co-conspirators used a Sam’s Club account in California for 231 fraudulent transactions, valued at $102,000, using SNAP victims’ EBT accounts.
For five days in September 2025, from the 5th to the 9th, Manolea and co-conspirators stole about $8,739 in SNAP funds when they used 10 different EBT accounts in Oregon stores.
Co-defendant, Andy Perovici, installed a skimming device at a retail point-of-sale terminal in Tigard, on September 23, 2025. The device captures EBT card account data and PIN numbers.