Somali market owners charged with food stamp fraud‏

The owners of a Somali market on the West Side were charged Friday in federal court in Columbus with defrauding food-assistance programs of more than $10 million over nine years.

Prosecutors say that Abdurahim Nuriso of the Southwest Side and his brother, Hassan Nuriso of Grove City, converted food stamps and other benefits into cash or accepted them for ineligible purchases at their Towfiq Market, 3655 Sullivant Ave.

 According to a 19-page indictment, the Nurisos would buy customers’ benefit credits or sell ineligible items through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. Federal law prohibits such transactions or the use of food stamp benefits for alcohol, tobacco products, cleaning products and some other items. Court documents outline dozens of instances in which Abdurahim Nuriso is accused of accepting food stamp benefits in exchange for shampoo, calling cards, a dish scrubber, hookah pipes and other items not allowed under the programs or as payment of store credit, according to court documents.