A Jamestown store owner has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of food stamp benefits fraud. 57-year-old Joseph Gullotti entered his plea Thursday in U.S. District Court in Buffalo. Gullotti, who owned and operated Fresh Cut Meats & More on Newland Avenue, was authorized to accept and redeem food stamps. The U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibits a retailer from accepting food stamps for ineligible items such as beer, cigarettes, and hot prepared food, from giving cash for the benefits and from using the benefits to pay for items purchased on credit. Prosecutors say that between January 2015 and March 21st, 2017, Gullotti and others accepted food stamp benefits to pay for merchandise purchased on credit by a beneficiary including ineligible items. During that time, Gullotti and others engaged in approximately $173,515 of unlawful transactions. Gullotti will be sentenced on August 23rd; he faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Photo by the Jamestown Gazette
