(Photo: news.delaware.gov)
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Nov. 4, 2025
Federal and state investigators have dismantled an 11-month Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) trafficking scheme in Cleveland that authorities say involved roughly $100,000 in illegally exchanged benefits.
According to investigators, a joint probe by the U.S. Secret Service, the Ohio Investigative Unit, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General identified approximately 17,000 suspected illegal SNAP transactions conducted at a Cleveland retail business.
A Cuyahoga County grand jury has indicted Rup Chhetri, the owner of Sagarmatha Home Décor LLC, located on Lorain Avenue, on multiple felony counts. The charges include illegal use of SNAP benefits, money laundering, telecommunications fraud, and grand theft, court records show.
Authorities allege that SNAP benefits — which are intended to be used for eligible food purchases — were instead exchanged for cash and non-food items, including clothing and household goods. Investigators say the transactions occurred repeatedly over nearly a year, triggering financial monitoring alerts that led to the broader investigation.
Search warrants were executed at the business location and at Chhetri’s residence earlier this year. No injuries were reported during the searches, and investigators say no additional suspects have been charged at this time.
Federal officials emphasized that SNAP trafficking diverts resources away from families who rely on the program for basic nutrition and undermines public trust in federal assistance programs. Chhetri is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.