A federal jury has found Hassan Abdellatif, also known as "Eric," guilty of a scheme to defraud a federal food program designed for women and children. Abdellatif, aged 36 and a Chicago resident, was convicted on five counts, which included two counts of wire fraud, one count of fraudulently obtaining government benefits, and two counts of willfully failing to file corporate tax returns. The verdict was delivered after a week-long trial in Chicago's federal court.
The case was overseen by U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso, who has set Abdellatif's sentencing for August 26, 2025.
Evidence presented during the trial demonstrated that Abdellatif, who was affiliated with multiple Chicago-area stores—El Milagro Mini Market, Supermercado El Grande, Star Mini Market, In & Out Grocery, and Harding Grocery—conspired with eight other individuals to misuse checks from the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. This program aims to assist moderate and low-income families by providing nutritious food. Abdellatif and his conspirators allowed customers to use WIC checks to purchase non-eligible items and often at inflated prices. At two of these stores, Abdellatif and a co-defendant redeemed over $6.5 million in WIC checks, eventually leading to law enforcement intervention and the cessation of the fraudulent activity.
Overall, ten stores involved in the operation reportedly redeemed more than $19 million worth of WIC checks over an eight-year span. Abellatif's eight co-defendants had all pleaded guilty before his trial.
The announcement of the convictions came from several officials: Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI's Chicago Field Office; Shantel R. Robinson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Midwest Regional Office, Office of Inspector General; and Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. The prosecution team consisted of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kartik Raman, Rick Young, and Matthew Moyer.