Staff Reports
The guilty plea of a Portland man in a major EBT skimming scheme should make taxpayers and the vulnerable pay attention. This wasn’t small-time shoplifting. Federal prosecutors say the operation stole more than $550,000 from SNAP and TANF recipients across Oregon and Washington. That money was supposed to help families put food on the table, not line the pockets of criminal “entrepreneurs.”
Portland man pleads guilty in SNAP fraud and EBT skimming case
Andy Robert Perovici has admitted to conspiracy to defraud the United States, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft. U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford announced the plea after investigators found skimming devices at several retail locations and a trove of stolen EBT account numbers and PINs on seized electronics. The aggravated identity theft charge brings a mandatory prison term that must run consecutive to other sentences — a signal prosecutors want punishment to bite.
How the EBT skimming scheme worked
According to court filings, Perovici and co-conspirators used skimming devices to capture card data from EBT transactions. They cloned cards, stole PINs, and used the cloned accounts to withdraw cash and buy goods. The scheme reached into Portland, Tigard, Lake Oswego, and Salem. A forensic review tied hundreds of victim accounts to the stolen information, with losses totaling roughly $554,215. In plain terms: criminals found a way to turn federal assistance into a cash machine.
Why this matters: theft from the needy and system weakness
Stealing SNAP and TANF benefits is not a victimless crime. These programs are lifelines. When fraud drains accounts, struggling families miss meals or must jump through hoops to reclaim aid. Beyond the human cost, this case exposes weaknesses in payment systems and retail security. Skimming is old-school fraud, yet it persists. If criminals can clone EBT cards with off-the-shelf gear, officials and retailers have not done enough to stop them.
Fixes conservatives should push for now
Prosecutors and the USDA’s Office of Inspector General deserve credit for the bust. But enforcement alone won’t stop the next scam. Lawmakers and regulators need to demand better protections: stronger retailer oversight, mandatory anti-skimming tech on point-of-sale systems, faster shutoff and recovery for compromised EBT accounts, and stiffer penalties for those who target public-benefit programs. Private-sector retailers must also stop treating fraud controls like optional accessories.
This guilty plea is a good start, but it’s not the end. Prosecuting criminals like Perovici sends a message, but prevention will protect the truly vulnerable. If taxpayers and needy families are going to carry the cost of bureaucracy and benefits, we should at least insist those systems are shielded from thieves. Otherwise, the next headline will be the same story with a different name — and far too many empty grocery carts.
