The U.S. Attorney’s office says the owner of a well-known Rochester fish store has pleaded guilty to food stamp fraud.
Authorities say that 61 year old Irving Feldman of Pittsford, who owns Upstate Fish on Joseph Avenue, was involved in fraud that totaled $1.4 million.
Prosecutors say that between 2010 and 2015, Feldman illegally purchased food stamp benefits for less than half their full value from food stamp recipients. They say that he also directed food stamp recipients to buy fish at other fish stores using their benefit cards. Officials say those people would then bring the fish to Feldman and he would provide cash to the food stamp recipients in amounts less than the cost to buy the fish.
The New York State Inspector General, Catherine Leahy Scott calls the food stamp fraud scheme “truly breathtaking in scale.”
Feldman is scheduled to be sentenced in March.
