U.S. Beef in Fairfield raided in 2015 in connection with SNAP fraud

Three years ago, federal agents, state police and Butler County deputies raided U.S. Beef after undercover investigations recorded illegal trafficking of EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) cards provided by SNAP - the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The 18-month investigation began with a tip from a confidential informant who revealed U.S. Beef employees bought EBT cards for half their value, then billed the government for the full amount, according to the criminal complaint. U.S. Beef’s co-owners and managers Scott Traum and Joey Lightcap-Traum, along with employees Dalton Traum, Keith Blankenship and Jordan Kaiser, received sentences of at least a year in prison. .