COOPER CITY, FLA. (WSVN) – A South Florida woman has been arrested in connection with a months-long scheme that stole more than $120,000 in government food assistance benefits from hundreds of victims, including elderly residents and single parents.
Tamica Brown, 43, is accused of targeting recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, by unlawfully obtaining their electronic benefit transfer card numbers, PINs and account balances, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators said the scheme affected about 200 victims, with more than 30 confirmed so far, including a single mother of three who was unable to buy groceries and a 95-year-old woman left without access to food benefits.
The investigation began July 20, 2025, when deputies responded to a fraud complaint at a Walmart in Cooper City.
Detectives later determined Brown received stolen EBT information electronically and used it to make unauthorized purchases.
Authorities said Brown bought high-demand items such as energy drinks and soda using the stolen benefits, then resold the merchandise to convenience stores to convert the funds into cash.
Victims often discovered the theft when attempting to use their EBT cards, only to find their benefits had already been depleted, investigators said.
After an eight-month investigation, authorities developed probable cause for Brown’s arrest. She was taken into custody on Tuesday by Pembroke Pines police on a Broward Sheriff’s Office warrant.
Brown is being held at the Broward County Main Jail on charges including trafficking in counterfeit credit cards and criminal use of personal identification information.
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