A New Castle County man has been convicted for his involvement in a scheme based on the misuse of EBT cards.
Talib Salaam, a 47-year-old resident of Wilmington, was convicted by a New Castle County Superior Court jury on November 24 on three charges of Unauthorized Use of Food Stamps Over $500 and one charge of Conspiracy Second Degree. The guilty verdicts follow a yearslong investigation by the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services and the Delaware Department of Justice.
“At a time when so many Delawareans are struggling with food insecurity, Talib Salaam concocted an elaborate scheme to abuse a program designed to fight that hunger,” said Attorney General Kathy Jennings. “It is unconscionable that someone would try to take advantage of a program designed to provide for the most vulnerable in our society. Our DOJ trial team and DHSS have done the public a profound service in securing these convictions.”
“We are grateful to the Department of Justice for pursuing this case and protecting the integrity of food benefits in our state,” DHSS Cabinet Secretary Christen Linke Young said. “This conviction reinforces our commitment to safeguarding these benefits to ensure they go to Delawareans who truly need them.”
In October 2019, a loss prevention officer at the ShopRite grocery store in Wilmington’s Southbridge neighborhood contacted DHSS after witnessing Salaam use another individual’s EBT card to make purchases. The subsequent investigation revealed that Salaam systematically used illegally purchased EBT cards at various retailers to resell food products at a profit. This included using the items to make and sell a drink called “Pyramid Punch”. Following the investigation, Salaam was indicted in September of 2023. A sentencing date has not yet been set.