Haitian national convicted of orchestrating $6.7 MILLION SNAP fraud scheme in Boston

A Haitian immigrant has been convicted of defrauding the federal government of at least $6.7 million worth of USDA SNAP benefits. Antonio Bonheur, 74, of Mattapan, orchestrated the multi-million-dollar scheme through a small retail store he owned in Boston, Massachusetts.

Bonheur pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges including wire fraud and authorized use, transfer, and possession of benefits in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts as part of a plea agreement. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and deportation from the United States.

According to court documents, the Haitian migrant accepted electronic benefit transfer cards from food stamp recipients looking to convert their benefits into cash at Jesula Variety Store. Bonheur processed the full value of the benefits through his point-of-sale (POS) terminal, but did not give customers the entire amount and kept a portion for himself. Thousands of similar transactions occurred between February 2021 and December 2025, with Bonheur pocketing nearly $7 million.

Charging documents show that the scale of the fraud climbed throughout the years, with Bonheur redeeming $6,467 in October 2023 to consistent monthly totals exceeding $200,000 by October 2025. The highest amount recorded was $540,870 in August 2024.

Bonheur has a co-defendant who has also been charged in the scheme: another Haitian immigrant identified as Saul Alsime, of Hyde Park. He has been accused of trafficking over $121,890 in SNAP benefits between May and December 2025. Alsime's court hearing has been scheduled for May.

"These men abused one of the Government's most critical safety net programs for their own financial gain," said US Attorney Leah Foley in a press briefing. "This is taxpayer money meant to keep people from going hungry. These defendants decided to take it for themselves. These defendants exchanged SNAP benefits for cash, which they pocketed."

Bonheur will be sentenced on March 30 in Boston.