Rochester's Beni Foods Owner Pleads Guilty to Food Stamp Fraud, Facing 20 Years in Federal Prison

Zina Amba Mbile Mbile, 45, admitted to defrauding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) while operating Beni Food, a convenience store on Dewey Avenue.

A Rochester convenience store owner has pleaded guilty to food stamp fraud, according to U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross. Zina Amba Mbile Mbile, 45, admitted to defrauding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) while operating Beni Food, a convenience store on Dewey Avenue.

The plea, entered before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford, involves charges that carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a potential $250,000 fine.

Between March 2020 and July 2024, Mbile engaged in illegal activities related to SNAP, a federal program designed to help low-income individuals purchase food using government-issued debit cards. According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is prosecuting the case, Mbile accepted SNAP benefits from customers in exchange for non-eligible items, such as cosmetics, and also exchanged SNAP benefits for cash. In total, these fraudulent transactions resulted in approximately $246,890 being deposited into Beni Food’s bank accounts for food that was never purchased.

SNAP regulations strictly prohibit the use of benefits for non-food items, such as cigarettes, alcohol, or cash. Businesses authorized to accept SNAP must limit transactions to eligible food products only.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General; Homeland Security Investigations; and the Monroe County Department of Human Services.

Mbile is scheduled to be sentenced on May 21, 2025, before Judge Wolford.