🌱 East Orange grocery’s SNAP scam ends with prison and big restitution
East Orange, New Jersey Patch AM: a 4 min readHey hey East Orange! Your one-stop source for local news is here. Continue reading for all the updates. ☕️️
In today's newsletter:
- East Orange grocery’s SNAP scam ends with prison and big restitution
- How a local East Orange grocer turned SNAP benefits into cash
Also on today's calendar: L'Alliance New York BASTILLE DAY 2026 in Montclair | July 11 and 9 more events.
Today's riddle: Where do insects shop? 🤔 (Answer below!)
- Saturday: Partly sunny, a stray t-storm, with a high of 83 and low of 67 degrees.
- Sunday: Mostly sunny, temps: high: 87, low: 67. 🌶 Hot!
- Monday: Plenty of sun, with a high of 86 and low of 70 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
• NJ Grocer Sentenced for $2.2 Million SNAP Fraud Scheme, Faces Prison and Restitution (wrat.com) — A grocery store operator who ran a SNAP fraud scheme out of an East Orange market has been sentenced to two years in federal prison. Prosecutors say workers swapped benefits for cash from 2017 to 2024, generating more than $2.2 million in improper redemptions and leaving the owner on the hook for hefty restitution after release. 
• Tax Fraud Blotter: Any port in a storm (accountingtoday.com) — A New Brunswick man has been sentenced for running a long‑running SNAP fraud scheme through his East Orange grocery store, where workers illegally traded benefits for cash. Federal prosecutors say more than $2.2 million in benefits were converted this way between 2017 and 2024, and the owner now faces prison time, supervision, and a large restitution bill.
📸 Around East Orange
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★ Featured events ★
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L'Alliance New York BASTILLE DAY 2026 in Montclair | July 11 →
Various Location Across Town - Free access,
10:00 am -
East Orange Adult Soccer Tournament Celebrating World Cup Spirit →
Columbian Park, East Orange
12:00 pm -
The Tea - Interview With The Stars →
Guiding Star United Holy Church, 400 Main St, East Orange
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Saturday July 11
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Other local events
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Massive Furniture Liquidation Sale →
Grand Avenue, Grand Ave, North Brunswick Township
9:30 am -
Guyana 60th Independence Family Fun Day →
Monte Irvin Orange Park, S Center St & South Harrison Street, 35 E Highland Ave, City of Orange
10:00 am -
Certified Home Health Aide Training Program →
JVS New Jersey, 7 Glenwood Ave, East Orange
10:00 am -
Free - Certified Home Health Aide Training Program →
JVS New Jersey, 7 Glenwood Ave, East Orange
10:00 am -
Parkinson’s Strength
JCC Metro West JCC MetroWest, 760 Northfield Ave, West Orange, NJ, 07052, United States
1:15 pm -
7/13/2026 CITY COUNCIL MEETING →
East Orange, NJ Calendar, 44 City Hall Plaza, East Orange
5:30 pm -
Mediterranean Diet Workshop
JCC Metro West JCC MetroWest | Tepper Hall, 760 Northfield Ave, West Orange, NJ, 07052, United States
1:30 pm -
PES SUMMER WORKSHOP | Cycle 10 AIR CAZORLA + SALEME Summer Stencil Painting
Newark Arts PES @ Ironside, Edison Place 110, Newark, New Jersey, 07102, United States
4:00 pm -
"Follow Me....to a party with a purpose" World Soccer Finals Watch Party →
Newark Liberty International Airport Marriott, 1 Hotel Rd, Newark
11:00 am
Saturday July 11
Sunday July 12
Monday July 13
Tuesday July 14
Sunday July 19
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Thank you 👏👏👏 to these businesses for making East Orange PatchAM possible:
- NJ Roofing Maintenance LLC — (201) 218-3666
Flat Roof Repair & Emergency Roofing in NJ - HZY GOODS — (973) 200-3030
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Wills, Trusts, Medicaid Planning. Free consultations.
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💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Domino's Pizza, Inc. posted a job opening for Food Handler/Pizza Maker in South Orange. Apply here.
- Pizza Hut posted a job opening for Team Member in West Orange. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near East Orange here.
🗞 Nearby News
South Orange
- PHOTOS: At Last! The Able Baker ‘Soft Opens' in South Orange (villagegreennj.com)
- Cole Swider to join Boeheim's Army for 2026 TBT (fingerlakes1.com)
- Essex County Daily Buzz: Jul. 9, 2026 (jerseybee.org)
West Orange
- Family displaced after 30-foot tree crashes into West Orange home during storms (news12.com)
- West Orange Man Sentenced For 2 Murders In Nearby Towns (patch.com)
Bloomfield
- Musical Will Fundraise For Essex County Boy With Rare Medical Condition (patch.com)
- Outrage Explodes After ‘Nazi’ Music Fest At Bloomfield VFW Hall (patch.com)
Ok East Orange! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Flea market (Thank you Marti G. for sending it in!)
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