Two Downtown Pittsburgh 7-Eleven workers are accused of illegally exchanging more than $550,000 in SNAP benefits for cash through transactions that prosecutors say were disguised as store purchases.
Abdou Jallow, 55, and Alicia Mastrantoni, 39, both of Pittsburgh, were charged by federal criminal complaint with food stamp fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Jallow was the manager of the 7-Eleven at 643 Liberty Avenue, while Mastrantoni worked at the same store, CBS Pittsburgh reported. Federal prosecutors say they exchanged SNAP benefits for cash for store customers, many of whom allegedly used the cash to buy illegal controlled substances.
The government believes more than $550,000 in SNAP benefits were fraudulently exchanged over the course of the investigation.
Prosecutors Say Fake Register Codes Hid The Cash Trades
The alleged scheme depended on making cash exchanges look like legitimate food purchases.
Federal prosecutors said Jallow and Mastrantoni tried to conceal the transactions by using fraudulent universal product codes, or UPCs, on the store’s cash register.
CBS Pittsburgh reported that federal court documents described fake sales records that made it appear as if customers were buying groceries. In reality, prosecutors allege, the customers were receiving cash or other items instead of eligible food.
One example cited in the local report described $60 in SNAP benefits being exchanged for $30 in cash or cigarettes. Prosecutors say some of the cash was then used to buy drugs.
The Store’s SNAP Activity Drew Federal Attention
The 7-Eleven caught investigators’ attention because its SNAP transactions were unusually high in both volume and dollar amount, according to federal officials.
CBS Pittsburgh reported that the store had hundreds of individual SNAP transactions over $100, with some exceeding $500. Investigators found that activity unusual for a convenience store.
Prosecutors say the data helped identify the store as being involved in fraud before charges were filed against the two workers.
The alleged activity dated back to 2020, CBS Pittsburgh reported.
The Charges Are Part Of A National Fraud Sweep
The charges were announced as part of the Justice Department’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, a nationwide enforcement action that included hundreds of defendants across federal districts and state agencies.
In the Pittsburgh case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office worked with the Justice Department’s Health Care Fraud Unit, the USDA Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and Pennsylvania State Police Organized Crime Unit West.
Jallow and Mastrantoni are charged by complaint, which means the allegations still have to be proven in court. Prosecutors said a criminal complaint is only an accusation and that both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
CBS Pittsburgh reported that employees at the store said Jallow and Mastrantoni no longer work there. The station said it contacted 7-Eleven corporate offices for comment but did not receive a response.