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Should I turn in my brother for food stamp fraud?

What should I do?

  • Turn in my brother and his sons.

    Votes: 2 4.8%
  • Turn in my brother, his sons, and store

    Votes: 4 9.5%
  • Turn in the store

    Votes: 20 47.6%
  • Do nothing at all.

    Votes: 16 38.1%

  • Total voters
    42
And how is SgtRock going to do that without sweeping up his family into the mix, oh Buddhist genius?

By telling them he reported the store owner for defrauding tax payers? This doesn't exactly have to be clandestine, you know.
 
I guess you have a point there. If he turns in the store, chances are the authorities will find out that his brother has been using his food stamps to purchase tobacco and alcohol at this store.

Maybe that's Kevin's point though. Instead of just turning in your family, you turn in the store and inadvertently the family gets found out too?

Yup. Unless my understanding of the law is lacking (and it very well might be) you'd need actual witnesses to point out that a wrongdoing occurred.
 
So let's take stock of all of this... your online name is SgtRock. You present an online persona of assertion, even aggressive chin-out stance. But when it comes time to USE that in the real world scenario you ask about doing the limp willie snitch routine? :doh

My brother lived in my grandmother's house after she went to 'the Home'. He never paid the bills, did a lot of drinking and a few drugs. Power turned off, my wife and I lost the half beef in the freezer. I calmly asked him about it, noticed the smoked stained walls and crappy remelt candles and then just beat his ass. Not a real beat down, he is my brother, but until he couldn't stand. I then drug him outside, told him he needed to find a new place to live.

Time to nut-up, family is family.

:lol: :lol:
 
By telling them he reported the store owner for defrauding tax payers? This doesn't exactly have to be clandestine, you know.

Okay. Next time your family does something illegal with another party, find a way to report that party to the cops without bringing your family into it. We're all waiting to hear how it turns out.
 
He is my brother. My sister passed this month. Not mother or wife. Sorry this is a bit confussing. My sisters passing has been extremely difficult for all of us. My brother has been on food stamps for a long time. His boys are 19 and 22. The store not only commited fraud but aslo sold beer to a minor. Anyway, other than talking to my brother and his sons about this and expressing my disapointment, I have not done anything else at this point.

Oh, lol, I completely misunderstood. I thought it was your brother and HIS wife with perhaps younger teen boys, so I guess that makes all of my posts on this topic null and void now. Sorry about the misunderstanding.

What does your brother say when you talk with him? Is he resistant to your advice?
 
Yup. Unless my understanding of the law is lacking (and it very well might be) you'd need actual witnesses to point out that a wrongdoing occurred.

Well, I believe everything is done over the computer now, so the store would probably have a record of who bought what? Not sure.
 
Here is the situation. My brother and his sons live in another state. My sister passed away this month from lung cancer. I traveled there for the funeral and to visit. When I got there i found my brother and two of his sons had not eaten for two days. So i went out and picked up some burgers. After they had eaten I took my brother and his sons in my rental car, none of them have a car, to buy groceries which I gladly paid for. On the way back they asked me to stop at a store so i did. They came out with beer and cigaretts. Well needless to say i was pissed. I asked, how can you afford beer and cigaretts but can't afford food. My brother responded "the store accepted his food stamp card for beer and smokes, isn't that cool" I said hell no its not cool. My brother and his adult sons are on food stamps. So what am I to do. Turn in my brother and his sons.

Man.... Suckage... Me...I don't think I would turn them in unless I had thought & prayed long and hard about it. You relationship with a lot more people than just ehm might change in ways unexpected. You'll have to decide for yourself the amount of association you would have with them, though. Being family shouldn't grant them "freebie" assaults on your sense of Justice.

Best of luck.

Peace,
Joe
 
How about trying to get the family some help first? I think that's a more middle of the road suggestion, although I would turn in the store too because what they are doing is illegal. You are not supposed to be able to buy tobacco and alcohol with food stamps as far as I know, but then these people will just turn around and sell their food stamps for half price in order to get their tobacco and alcohol because they are both quite addictive substances.

Wasn't a poll option.


But I agree. To a point. Know what'll help? Making it harder for them to get booze and smokes.
 
Okay. Next time your family does something illegal with another party, find a way to report that party to the cops without bringing your family into it. We're all waiting to hear how it turns out.

It happens all the time.
 
Well, I believe everything is done over the computer now, so the store would probably have a record of who bought what? Not sure.

My understanding is that the store rings purchases up as food, gives alcohol/cigs and adjusts inventory internally. For example, someone comes in and pays cash for food, that cash is accredited to alcohol and the books balance.
 
Yup. Unless my understanding of the law is lacking (and it very well might be) you'd need actual witnesses to point out that a wrongdoing occurred.

I'm pretty sure the police department would be happy to send someone in with an EBT card and confirm for themselves.
 
My understanding is that the store rings purchases up as food, gives alcohol/cigs and adjusts inventory internally. For example, someone comes in and pays cash for food, that cash is accredited to alcohol and the books balance.

Oh, that makes sense, so it would be hard to even get the store busted unless there was some other kind of evidence I guess.
 
I'm pretty sure the police department would be happy to send someone in with an EBT card and confirm for themselves.

If they have the time and resources for that? Sure, why not.
 
I wonder why the SNAP program is going up so high in costs? (rhetorical). I would be highly pissed at the store - not that anyone will DO anything about selling booze and smokes..

business as usual, soak the taxpayer, reward the criminal behavior, and add more to the budget costs.

a good smacking upside the head(s) as someone said here is in order also.
 
So let's take stock of all of this... your online name is SgtRock. You present an online persona of assertion, even aggressive chin-out stance. But when it comes time to USE that in the real world scenario you ask about doing the limp willie snitch routine? :doh

My brother lived in my grandmother's house after she went to 'the Home'. He never paid the bills, did a lot of drinking and a few drugs. Power turned off, my wife and I lost the half beef in the freezer. I calmly asked him about it, noticed the smoked stained walls and crappy remelt candles and then just beat his ass. Not a real beat down, he is my brother, but until he couldn't stand. I then drug him outside, told him he needed to find a new place to live.

Time to nut-up, family is family.

I am an old soldier. Not a thug! My brother has not harmed me in a way that I would respond with violence. Our sister just died and I was their for the funeral for crying out loud. Yes I am conservative and I believe the store and my brother and sons are commiting fraud. We paid for his food stamps with our taxes and it pisses me off what he is doing. But I also have compassion for him and his family. BTW, did you spend any time in jail for assulting your brother? I'm pretty sure beating someone till they can't get up is a serious crime even in backwards ass Oklahoma.
 
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I'm pretty sure the police department would be happy to send someone in with an EBT card and confirm for themselves.

I've heard several instances of them doing that around here and busting small local stores.
 
Wasn't a poll option.


But I agree. To a point. Know what'll help? Making it harder for them to get booze and smokes.

I don't really know how helpful that is. In my experience, I've seen that people just find ways around it to get what they want. Where there's a will, there's a way, as they say.
 
I don't think it's hypocritical because it's only natural that you would care more about your family than some stranger and be more hesitant to turn in a family member, if you have any sense of family loyalty of course.

If you logically believe that people ought to be turned in for food stamp fraud, then it applies just as much to people who are your family. My sense of loyalty makes it difficult to follow through on the outcome of what is logical, but doesn't change the outcome.

One of my standards as to whether I want any laws is whether I would want them to apply to my family. If I can't say they should apply to my family, then I can't say they should apply to anyone. I can hardly back out once the occasion arises to have them so applied.
 
Oh, that makes sense, so it would be hard to even get the store busted unless there was some other kind of evidence I guess.

If they have the time and resources for that? Sure, why not.


EBT fraud stings are common practice here in Gainesville, and I believe Florida. The department is happy to check on tips about EBT fraud. They do the same regarding tips about sales to underage customers. It costs very little and produces undeniable results almost instantaneously.
 
If you logically believe that people ought to be turned in for food stamp fraud, then it applies just as much to people who are your family. My sense of loyalty makes it difficult to follow through on the outcome of what is logical, but doesn't change the outcome.

One of my standards as to whether I want any laws is whether I would want them to apply to my family. If I can't say they should apply to my family, then I can't say they should apply to anyone. I can hardly back out once the occasion arises to have them so applied.

I can see your point, but a person is still going to naturally have more reservations about turning in a family member than a stranger. I don't know if I could call a person a "hypocrite" for choosing to NOT do it because it's not an easy thing to do and can cause severe turmoil in your family too.
 
Without the authorities being aware of who both parties are? I doubt that.

How exactly do they bust stores that sell booze to minors?


Again, it happens all the time.
 
EBT fraud stings are common practice here in Gainesville, and I believe Florida. The department is happy to check on tips about EBT fraud. They do the same regarding tips about sales to underage customers. It costs very little and produces undeniable results almost instantaneously.

Huh. I always figure that cops are too busy for this kind of stuff, but alrighty then.
 
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