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Why Is Seattle SNAP Fraud Still Open on 12th and Jackson?
Because the cash market never closed. An Undercover team posed as buyers near 12th Avenue and Jackson Street and documented Electronic Benefit Transfer cards sold at a discount, then turned into cash through a grocery ring-up no honest SNAP household would make. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program exists to put food on American tables. On that Seattle corner, the benefit is being used as street currency.
What the Buy at Lam's Seafood Asian Market Showed
Shirley's team posed as buyers near 12th Avenue and Jackson Street, documenting EBT cards sold at discounts, with one deal at Lam's Seafood Asian Market where a $120 purchase of Spam and sushi enabled a cash swap. The cashier rang a can of Spam and a plate of sushi for $120. Confronted outside, the woman who arranged the swap acknowledged the conduct was food-stamp fraud.
The operation turned chaotic when a security guard's gun was stolen in a fight, forcing the crew to flee. The Undercover record of the ring-up stayed behind as evidence.
What Seattle Police Already Mapped on the Same Block
Seattle police have long probed similar trafficking in the area. In 2025, investigators reported a ring buying EBT cards and PIN codes around 12th Avenue and South Jackson Street, then buying food and household goods for resale in King and Snohomish counties. Police reports named Lam's market as a site of repeated bulk buys and described traffickers banned from the store who sent runners inside. King County prosecutors charged suspects, including Ha Son Thach and Lien My Khuu, with unlawful trafficking in food stamps. Charges did not clear the corner.
Why a Federal SNAP Investigation Is the Next Move
Shirley calls for federal investigations into the store and the billion-dollar scheme hurting SNAP's true recipients. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has stated that anyone who accepts any portion of an annual $100 billion taxpayer program must follow the rules or face the consequences. USDA's Operation SNAP Back has run retailer stings, disqualified or suspended nearly 6,000 retailers, and stopped more than $5.8 billion in fraud since the administration began. Trafficking, the exchange of SNAP benefits for cash, can bring permanent disqualification, fines, and a referral to the USDA Office of Inspector General.
Seattle has treated an open cash market in food benefits as a local nuisance. It is a federal program funded by national taxpayers. An Undercover record of a $120 Spam-and-sushi ring-up, set beside police files on the same intersection, justifies a retailer review and a criminal referral. Honest recipients lose when benefits are skimmed into cash. A further Undercover review of the register and the resale chain protects the households the program was built to serve. The Undercover standard is simple: document the swap, name the store, and send the file to investigators who can pull the authorization.
Seattle police documented the 12th and Jackson EBT ring, including bulk buys tied to Lam’s, in 2025. Secretary Rollins set the federal standard in September 2026: accept any portion of the $100 billion program and follow the rules, or face the consequences. USDA reports more than $5.8 billion in fraud stopped and nearly 6,000 retailers disqualified or suspended since the Trump Administration began.
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FAQs
Why Is Seattle SNAP Fraud Still Open on 12th and Jackson?
Because the cash market never closed. An Undercover team posed as buyers near 12th Avenue and Jackson Street and documented Electronic Benefit Transfer cards sold at a discount, then turned into cash through a grocery ring-up no honest SNAP household would make. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program exists to put food on American tables. On that Seattle corner, the benefit is being used as street currency.
