212-300-5196

Service & Results.

nyc criminal lawyers over 30 years of experienceWe Know How To Win Cases

Spodek Law Group handles tough cases
nationwide, that demand excellence.

Get Free Consultation

Faced 5+ Years in Prison

People Vs Joseph Amico

Covered by NYDaily News. Las Vegas man accused of threatening a prominent attorney and making vile remarks.

Faced 10+ Years in Prison

People Vs. Anna Sorokin

Covered by New York Times, and other outlets. Fake heiress accused of conning the city’s wealthy, and has an HBO special being made about her.

Faced 3+ Years in Prison

People Vs. Genevieve Sabourin

Accused of stalking Alec Baldwin. The case garnered nationwide attention, with USAToday, NYPost, and other media outlets following it closely.

Faced Potential Charges

Ghislaine Maxwell Juror

Juror who prompted calls for new Ghislaine Maxwell trial turns to lawyer who defended Anna Sorokin.

Why Choose Us

Clients can use our portal to track the status of their case, stay in touch with us, upload documents, and more.

Regardless of the type of situation you're facing, our attorneys are here to help you get quality representation.

We can setup consultations in person, over Zoom, or over the phone to help you. Bottom line, we're here to help you win your case.

Spodek
Law in the Media

View All

Meet Todd Spodek

WE PROVIDE WHITE GLOVE SERVICE TO CLIENTS
WHO WANT MORE FROM THEIR ATTORNEY

The Spodek Law Group understands how delicate high-profile cases can be, and has a strong track record of getting positive outcomes. Our lawyers service a clientele that is nationwide. With offices in both LA and NYC, and cases all across the country - Spodek Law Group is a top tier law firm.

Todd Spodek is a second generation attorney with immense experience. He has many years of experience handling 100’s of tough and hard to win trials. He’s been featured on major news outlets, such as New York Post, Newsweek, Fox 5 New York, South China Morning Post, Insider.com, and many others.

In 2022, Netflix released a series about one of Todd’s clients: Anna Delvey/Anna Sorokin.

Why Clients Choose Spodek Law Group

The reason is simple: clients want white glove service, and lawyers who can win. Every single client who works with the Spodek Law Group is aware that the attorney they hire could drastically change the outcome of their case. Hiring the Spodek Law Group means you’re taking your future seriously. Our lawyers handle cases nationwide, ranging from NYC to LA. Our philosophy is fair and simple: our nyc criminal lawyers only take on clients who we know will benefit from our services.

We’re selective about the clients we work with, and only take on cases we know align with our experience – and where we can make a difference. This is different from other law firms who are not invested in your success nor care about your outcome.

If you have a legal issue, call us for a consultation.
We are available 24/7, to help you with any – and all, challenges you face.

Recipient Food Stamp Trafficking

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is designed to alleviate the financial burden of needy households in having food.

The federal and state agencies that administer SNAP are constantly on the lookout for those who abuse the program. One such abuse is food stamp, or SNAP benefit, trafficking. Those who engage in it, whether retailers or recipients, divert dollars intended to help needy families have nutrition toward their own profits or things for which SNAP benefits are not meant.

If you are accused of trafficking in food stamps, or snap benefits, you’re subject to sanctions ranging from the administrative to the criminal. That means not only being declared ineligible, but the potential of jail time and agencies reaching into your property or other money to satisfy debts.

What is Trafficking By a Food Stamp Recipient?

As a recipient, you engage in trafficking by selling your EBT benefits to someone else. Often, trafficking occurs when a retailer buys your benefits and then uses them to buy inventory for resell. With the cash, you buy items, such as alcohol, drugs, tobacco or other nonfood items, that you could not buy with the EBT card.

How does the federal or your state find out if you’re trafficking? Before EBT cards, food stamp recipients received coupons, or “stamps.” Paper coupons made it more challenging to track your purchases or catch phony records of purchases.

EBT cards work like debit or ATM cards. As you use it, the balance you have each month for eligible food purchases decrease. Since the EBT card is the method for paying for food with snap funds, unscrupulous types have a much more difficult time with counterfeit schemes.

More importantly, the EBT cards allow the federal or state agencies to track and record your use habits. Patterns discovered by or analyzed by computers may signal potential sale or otherwise misuse of the benefits. These alerts may trigger investigations and enforcement actions.

Enforcement

 

Criminal Penalties

Trafficking is a crime that carries the prospect of imprisonment and fines. The levels depend on how much money is involved in the trafficking. If you’ve sold less than $100 dollars in benefits, you can be convicted of a misdemeanor and face up to one year and a $1,000 fine.

When the trafficking involves at least $100 but less than $5,000, it becomes a felony with a fine up to $10,000. You can get up to five years in prison on a first offense. For subsequent convictions in this value range, the minimum prison term is six months and the maximum is five years.

If you’re found guilty of trafficking more than $5,000 in benefits, the fine can reach $250,000 and your prison term could last up to 20 years.

Disqualification

Federal law also bars you from receiving snap benefits due to trafficking. This conduct is considered an “Intentional Program Violation (IPV).” Other IPVs may arise from providing false or misleading information on your application, such as when you falsify your identity to get multiple sets of identity or lie about your income, assets or members of your household.

A first IPV disqualifies you from snap benefits for twelve months. On a second IPV, you’re barred for 24 months. After a third IPV, you are permanently disqualified from receiving snap benefits. Remember, this is not the number of trafficking incidents. Any IPV is counted in determining your period of disqualification. If you have two IPVs for other reasons, just one instance of trafficking can bar you forever from snap benefits.

Also, if you’ve been convicted of trafficking and the value is at least $500, you are permanently disqualified. This is so even if it’s your first offense.

Generally, you are entitled to a hearing before the agency disqualifies you on the basis of an IPV. The agency must notify you in writing at least 30 days prior to the date that the disqualification hearing is scheduled. Within 90 days after notification to the household that the hearing has been scheduled, the agency must conduct it and make a decision. Contact one of our recipient trafficking attorneys who can help you prepare for the hearing and make sure your rights to a fair hearing are protected.

Civil Recovery

You will also owe the federal government for amounts you received due to trafficking. The state agency that administers your SNAP benefits undertakes efforts to collect these amounts from you. A civil claim for trafficking can be based on your admission to the activity or upon documentation and other evidence that you engaged in trafficking.

The collection starts with an initial written demand to you. Among other things, it will declare the amount you allegedly trafficked, the time period in which it allegedly occurred and basis for the claim that you engaged in trafficking. You have ninety (90) days from receiving the letter to request a fair hearing. If you get such a notice, one of our recipient trafficking lawyers can discuss the agency’s claim with you and determine how you can fight it or perhaps work out a settlement or compromise with the agency.

Should the claim go uncontested or be determined as valid, your state agency must take the greater of $20 or 20 percent of your monthly benefits per month. You can pay in installments or in a lump sum, including from your EBT card. Other collection methods include garnishment of your wages, offsets or deductions from your state tax refund or lottery winnings, or intercept of any unemployment benefits upon getting a court order to do so. The state agency may request a court order that you perform public service, with the value of it being applied to the claim against you.

If you find yourself accused of abusing the snap program by trafficking, one of our recipient trafficking attorneys are available to help you avoid or reduce the administrative, civil or even criminal consequences.

Free Consultation

Testimonials

I was searching for a law firm with some power to help me deal with a warrant in New York . After 6 days I decided to go with Spodek Law Group. It helped that This law firm is well respected by not only the top law firms in New York , but the DA , Judge as well. I...

~Fonder Brandon

5 Stars
It was my good fortune to retain Spodek Law Group for representation for my legal needs. From the beginning, communication was prompt and thorough. Todd, Kenneth and Alex were the first people I worked with and they all made me, and my company Qumana skincare feel comfortable and confident that the team was going to work hard for me. Everything...

~A G

5 Stars
After meeting with several law firms, I chose the Spodek Law Group not only for their professionalism and experience, but for the personal attention given to me right from the initial consultation. It is important to recognize how crucial having the right legal team is when faced with potentially life altering events that impact families and the lives of loved...

~George Cherubini

Spodek Law Group

White Glove Service

We Provide Superior Service, Excellent Results, At A Level Superior To Other Criminal Defense Law Firms. Regardless Of Where Your Case Is, Nationwide, We Can Help You.
View More

Request Free Consultation

Please fill out the form below to receive a free consultation, we will respond to
your inquiry within 24-hours guaranteed.

NYC

85 Broad St 30th Floor, New York, NY 10004

212-300-5196

get directions

Los Angeles

611 S Catalina St Suite 222, Los Angeles, CA 90005

212-300-5196

get directions

QUEENS

35-37 36th St, 2nd Floor Astoria, NY 11106

212-300-5196

get directions

BROOKLYN

195 Montague St., 14th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201

212-300-5196

get directions
Call Now!