Welfare Fraud Sting Nets 103 Arrests

A welfare fraud investigation has led to arrest warrants for 103 people accused of illegally selling their Electronic Benefit Transfer cards at a discount, often using the money to buy drugs or alcohol, the Manatee County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday.

The investigation was sparked by the 2012 arrest of local pizza restaurateur Gerald Millas, 51, who was found to be buying EBT cards for 50 to 60 cents on the dollar and using them to buy food and supplies for his three restaurants in Manatee and Sarasota counties, authorities said.

Millas, arrested in December 2012, was charged with felony social welfare fraud. Detectives then tracked down 48 people accused of selling their food stamps to Millas as part of last year's "Operation Meal Ticket."

Millas is listed in online state records as president of Pizza Pros, which had locations at 5627 14th St. W. in Bradenton and another in Palmetto.

Investigators said Millas bought $23,000 in food for the restaurants, using the cards 131 times, including 53 different cards at Sam's Club, WTSP 10 News reports.

A follow-up investigation, "Operation Meal Ticket II," saw undercover detectives purchasing the discounted EBT cards from suspects who authorities believe would use the cash to buy drugs and/or alcohol, the sheriff's office said. Cards worth $200 typically were sold for $120.

"We are sending a message that there is major fraud here and we need to do something about it," Sheriff Brad Steube said at a Wednesday news conference, according to the Bradenton Herald. "We thought this was important. It is taxpayers' money."

Fifty-five people face charges in connection with that investigation, which netted nearly $9,000 in EBT cards.

"Since the cards could not be turned in, they were used to purchase baby formula which was given to the Food Bank of Manatee County," a sheriff's office spokesperson said.

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