The Boston case of two Haitian immigrants accused of orchestrating a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme involving food assistance benefits, including funds intended for children in need in Haiti, has gained national attention. According to Breitbart, in late December, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed food stamp fraud charges against 74-year-old Antonio Bonheur, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Haiti, and 21-year-old Saul Alisme, a Haitian immigrant who received a Social Security card in November 2024.
The indictment alleges that Bonheur owned Jesula Variety Store and Alisme owned Saul Mache Mixe Store, both of which took part in SNAP transactions. Investigators began scrutinizing these small Boston shops after they started redeeming unusually large quantities of benefits. The document claims the defendants moved millions of SNAP dollars through their businesses in a short span.
According to the indictment, the two stores processed numerous daily transactions exceeding $95, with hundreds of similar transactions each month. This activity purportedly amounted to more than $30,000 per month for Saul Mache Mixe and over $300,000 for Jesula Variety Store. The filing also notes that the stores’ operations would not normally support legitimate SNAP redemptions at such a scale. For instance, both shops lack shopping carts or baskets for customers, rely on a single cash register, and do not use barcode scanning equipment. During visits and undercover transactions, investigators observed that the stores stocked only limited quantities of eligible SNAP items. In sum, the prosecutors contend that Bonheur, through Jesula Variety Store, trafficked more than $6 million in SNAP benefits over more than three years, while Alisme, via Saul Mache Mixe Store, participated in SNAP trafficking estimated at over $121,890 since May 2025. The two storefronts share the same building at 1549 Blue Hill Avenue in Mattapan, Massachusetts.
Beyond alleged SNAP fraud, authorities allege the pair sold processed food bundles that had been produced by the nonprofit Feed My Starving Children, which, according to Breitbart, were “donated and not lawful to be sold.” The organization donates prepared packages to be shipped to countries facing severe food insecurity, including Haiti, funded entirely by donations. The indictment describes how the defendants would have needed to illicitly divert these donated items from the nonprofit’s supply chain, ship it back to the United States, and sell it in their stores for a profit.
According to Breitbart, if convicted on the food stamp charges, both Bonheur and Alisme face up to five years in prison, plus up to three years of supervised release and a maximum fine of $250,000.
