Gwinnett Man, Brother, Sentenced For Multi-Million Dollar Scam

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — A Lawrenceville man and his brother were sentenced to prison Wednesday for pocketing millions in a food stamp scam.

U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May sentenced Rodney Byrd, 41, of Lawrenceville, to four years in prison and Reginald Byrd, 40 of College Park, to one year and one day in prison.

Both defendants also were sentenced to three years of supervised release, a special assessment of $100, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $5,747,817.18.

The defendants were convicted of conspiracy to commit WIC and SNAP fraud on July 17, 2015, when they pled guilty to these charges.

"These defendants brazenly stole millions of dollars from government programs designed to help the poor and needy," said U. S. Attorney John Horn. "Their sentences show that people who line their pockets with money from government programs will go to prison."

Prosecutors say Rodney Byrd owned several stores in the Atlanta area, with names like Tweet Baby Tweet, Chicos and Chicas Variety Store and Tweets, Treats and Nic Nacs. Reginald Byrd managed at least one of the stores.

The brothers instructed employees at the stores to pay cash to customers in return for their WIC (Women, Infants and Children) vouchers and use of the customers' SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) debit cards.

As a result, vouchers worth millions of dollars were placed into bank accounts controlled by Rodney Byrd.

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