5 Official Press Releases
SNAP/EBT Fraud — Michigan

HIGHLAND PARK, Mich. — A community-led investigation has uncovered evidence of an alleged large-scale, multi-year SNAP/EBT benefits fraud scheme operating at Manhattan Fish & Chicken Market, a fried food restaurant chain with locations at 13224 Woodward Ave, Highland Park, Michigan 48203, and 27231 W Seven Mile Rd, Redford, Michigan 48240. The alleged operators of the scheme are Youssef Ahmed Baraghith, Moustafa Mohamed A. Baraghith, and Ahmed Mohamed Baraghith.

According to community investigators and firsthand witnesses, staff at the Highland Park location have directly and repeatedly solicited customers to pay for hot prepared fried food — including fried chicken, catfish, hot wings, and shrimp — using their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. Under federal law (7 U.S.C. § 2014(b)) and all applicable USDA regulations, hot food sold at restaurants is explicitly and categorically prohibited from SNAP purchase in every state, including Michigan. Michigan does not participate in the federal Restaurant Meals Program, meaning there are no exceptions of any kind.

The alleged scheme has reportedly generated millions of dollars in fraudulent SNAP redemptions over several years, with the proceeds allegedly funding the acquisition of substantial personal real estate and assets by the operators — wealth inconsistent with the legitimate income of a small fast food operation in lower-income communities.

The investigation also uncovered significant security measures at the Highland Park location, including bullet-proof glass partitions and an armed individual positioned behind the barrier — a level of security investment atypical of a conventional fast food establishment and consistent with protecting a high-value illicit operation.

Legal Violations

The alleged conduct implicates multiple federal and Michigan state statutes, including: 7 U.S.C. § 2024 (SNAP trafficking, up to 20 years federal prison); 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 1956 (money laundering); and Michigan Compiled Laws § 750.300a (food stamp fraud, up to 10 years state prison and $250,000 fine). Given the alleged multi-year, multi-location scale, aggregate fraud is believed to reach into the millions of dollars.

Formal complaints have been filed with the USDA Office of Inspector General, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service Retailer Division, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Fraud Division, the Michigan Attorney General's Office, the FBI Detroit Field Office, the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, the Michigan State Police, and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Members of the public who have witnessed EBT being accepted for hot food at any Manhattan Fish & Chicken Market location are urgently encouraged to report to the USDA OIG hotline at 1-800-424-9121 or online at hotline.oig.usda.gov, and to Michigan MDHHS at 1-888-678-8914 or mdhhs.michigan.gov/Fraud. All reports can be made anonymously.

About the Investigation

This investigation was initiated by community members in the Highland Park and Dearborn, Michigan area who personally witnessed staff at Manhattan Fish & Chicken Market soliciting EBT payment for hot food. Further investigation confirmed the existence of a token grocery display, a fraudulent POS coding scheme, and the alleged expansion of EBT acceptance to a second location in Redford, Michigan. The full investigation report, legal analysis, and formal complaint letters are available at the SNAP Fraud Watch Michigan public interest website.

All named individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The allegations contained in this press release have been submitted as tips and formal complaints to the law enforcement and regulatory agencies listed above for investigation.

HIGHLAND PARK / REDFORD, Mich. — In a stunning development that investigators say removes all ambiguity about the intentional nature of the alleged fraud, the operators of Manhattan Fish & Chicken Market have published open admissions of SNAP benefits violations directly on their own public website. The restaurant's homepage at www.manhattanmarketfnc.com displays the text "EBT ACCEPTED HERE" on its carousel banner for the Highland Park location and "EBT COMING SOON" for the Redford location — both of which are exclusively hot fried food restaurants where SNAP acceptance is categorically prohibited under federal law.

Legal experts and fraud investigators note that published website text of this nature constitutes significant evidence of knowing, intentional SNAP fraud under federal law. To be convicted of SNAP trafficking under 7 U.S.C. § 2024, prosecutors must demonstrate that the violation was knowing. A business owner who publishes "EBT ACCEPTED HERE" on a hot food restaurant website has, arguably, provided that proof themselves.

The website further confirms that the business's entire product offering consists of hot prepared foods — fried chicken (whole wings, wing dings, tenders, breast, legs and thighs, spicy bites), fried fish (catfish, perch, tilapia, whiting), fried shrimp (popcorn, butterfly, and jumbo), and 35 numbered hot food combo meals served with fries and drinks. The business also operates active DoorDash delivery pages for both locations, confirming its classification as a restaurant under USDA FNS guidelines.

Why "EBT Coming Soon" Is Equally Alarming

The Redford location's "EBT Coming Soon" advertisement is, in the view of investigators, as alarming as the Highland Park admission. It demonstrates that the alleged fraud is not a rogue act by individual employees, but a deliberate business expansion strategy — planned, approved by ownership, and publicly announced. Investigators allege this proves the existence of an organized, premeditated conspiracy to defraud the SNAP program across multiple locations.

Under 18 U.S.C. § 371, conspiracy to defraud the United States is a separate federal felony. Under Michigan Compiled Laws § 750.157a, criminal conspiracy is punishable under Michigan state law as well. The "EBT Coming Soon" advertisement, investigators argue, is direct evidence of the planning element required for a conspiracy conviction.

Token Grocery Items Do Not Legalize EBT at a Hot Food Restaurant

The website's menu includes a small listing of bread ($0.50/bag, $2.00/loaf) and soda ($1.50/can, $3.00/2-liter) buried in the "extras" section. Investigators and legal analysts note that these token items do not transform the business's SNAP eligibility. Under USDA FNS Policy Memorandum 2023-01, any establishment where more than 50% of sales consist of heated foods, hot foods, or cold prepared foods is classified as a restaurant and is ineligible for SNAP authorization in Michigan. The entire primary menu of Manhattan Fish & Chicken Market consists of hot prepared food.

📸 On-Site Photographic Evidence — Highland Park Location

Exterior — "WE ACCEPT EBT" storefront signage

KEY: "Fresh Grocery" banner above full hot-food menu + "We Accept EBT" sign

Minimal token grocery shelf — the alleged SNAP fraud facade

Service counter — hot food menu board only, zero grocery items

Interior counter — alleged site of fraudulent EBT processing

Photographs taken at 13224 Woodward Ave, Highland Park, MI 48203. Media outlets are encouraged to use these images in coverage of this investigation.

The full investigation report, evidence documentation, and complaint letters to all ten relevant agencies are available at the SNAP Fraud Watch Michigan public interest website. Community members with direct experience of EBT being solicited at this establishment are urged to report immediately to the USDA OIG at 1-800-424-9121.

All named individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The allegations herein have been reported to USDA OIG, Michigan MDHHS, Michigan AG, FBI Detroit, IRS Criminal Investigation, Wayne County Prosecutor, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, and Michigan State Police.

DETROIT, Mich. — The SNAP Fraud Watch Michigan community coalition today formally called on the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General (USDA OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Detroit Field Office, the Michigan Attorney General's Office, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, and seven additional federal and state agencies to immediately open criminal investigations into the alleged SNAP/EBT fraud scheme at Manhattan Fish & Chicken Market, operated by Youssef Ahmed Baraghith, Moustafa Mohamed A. Baraghith, and Ahmed Mohamed Baraghith.

Formal written complaints have been simultaneously submitted to all ten agencies with jurisdiction. The complaints detail an alleged multi-year, multi-location conspiracy to fraudulently accept SNAP/EBT benefits at two Michigan hot food restaurants — in direct violation of federal and state law — and to conceal the fraud through deliberate POS transaction miscoding and a fraudulent grocery store front.

Ten Agencies Called to Investigate

• USDA Office of Inspector General — Primary federal fraud investigator for SNAP violations (Hotline: 1-800-424-9121)
• USDA Food and Nutrition Service — Retailer authorization revocation (Email: SM.FN.RPMDHQWEB@usda.gov)
• Michigan MDHHS Fraud Investigation Division — State benefits fraud (Hotline: 1-888-678-8914)
• Michigan Attorney General — State criminal prosecution (1-877-765-8388)
• FBI Detroit Field Office — Wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy (Tips: tips.fbi.gov)
• Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy — County-level criminal prosecution
• IRS Criminal Investigation Division — Tax fraud, unreported income, money laundering
• Michigan Dept. of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) — Food safety violations
• U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Michigan — Federal grand jury and prosecution
• Michigan State Police — State law enforcement and weapons investigation

Scale of Alleged Fraud

Based on available evidence, investigators estimate the aggregate value of fraudulently processed SNAP transactions across both locations over the alleged duration of the scheme to reach into the millions of dollars. Under 7 U.S.C. § 2024, SNAP trafficking involving $5,000 or more is a federal felony carrying up to 20 years in federal prison and $250,000 in fines. Under Michigan Compiled Laws § 750.300a, fraud exceeding $1,000 is a felony carrying up to 10 years in state prison and $250,000 in fines, with all transactions over a 12-month period aggregatable into a single count.

Evidence Summary

The body of evidence submitted to all agencies includes: (1) firsthand eyewitness accounts of staff soliciting EBT payment for hot food; (2) the operators' own published website text confirming "EBT ACCEPTED HERE" and "EBT COMING SOON"; (3) a full menu analysis confirming 100% hot prepared food content; (4) DoorDash restaurant delivery listings for both locations; (5) documentation of the fraudulent grocery market display; (6) observations of bullet-proof glass and armed security; and (7) a pattern of asset accumulation inconsistent with legitimate business income.

The coalition urges all Michigan residents, journalists, and elected officials who have information about SNAP fraud at any Manhattan Fish & Chicken Market location to come forward. Reports can be made anonymously to USDA OIG at 1-800-424-9121 or online at hotline.oig.usda.gov. Michigan residents may also report through the MDHHS online portal at mdhhs.michigan.gov/Fraud.

All named individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. All allegations have been formally submitted as complaints and tips to the agencies named herein.

HIGHLAND PARK, Mich. — As federal and state authorities are called to investigate alleged SNAP/EBT benefits fraud at Manhattan Fish & Chicken Market, 13224 Woodward Ave, Highland Park, Michigan, public health investigators and community advocates are raising a separate but equally urgent alarm: multiple customers have filed documented public complaints describing critical food safety violations at the same establishment, including blood in undercooked chicken and a live insect fried into the batter of a meal.

Food safety attorneys and public health advocates note that the combination of alleged violations — undercooked meat, insect contamination, improper food holding, and management indifference to safety complaints — represents a pattern requiring immediate regulatory intervention. Under the Michigan Food Law (MCL 289.2121), food service establishments are required to serve food that is safe, unadulterated, and honestly presented. Each documented complaint may constitute a separate actionable violation.

The Connection Between Food Safety and Benefits Fraud

Public health experts note a disturbing pattern: establishments that allegedly operate outside legal boundaries in one area — such as benefits fraud — frequently show parallel disregard for other regulatory requirements, including food safety standards. The simultaneous presence of alleged SNAP fraud, inadequate food preparation, pest infestation evidence, and hostile management responses at the same location suggests a systemic culture of non-compliance with legal obligations at this establishment.

The presence of bullet-proof glass and armed security at a fast food location — noted separately in the fraud investigation — also raises concerns about the operating environment for both employees and customers at this establishment.

Call for Immediate Health Inspection

The SNAP Fraud Watch Michigan coalition, joined by community health advocates, is formally calling on the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Food Safety Division and the Wayne County Department of Health, Human and Veteran Services to conduct an immediate, unannounced inspection of the Manhattan Fish & Chicken Market at 13224 Woodward Ave, Highland Park, MI 48203.

A food safety complaint has been filed with MDARD. Community members who have experienced food safety issues at this establishment are urged to file their own complaints at michigan.gov/mdard or by calling 1-800-292-3939. Each individual complaint strengthens the case for inspection and enforcement action.

Michigan residents who believe they became ill after eating food from this establishment should contact their doctor, report to MDARD, and may wish to consult with a personal injury attorney about their rights.

The customer complaints cited in this press release are reproduced from publicly available review platforms. All named individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Food safety complaints should be directed to MDARD for formal investigation.

MICHIGAN. — As Michigan's SNAP fraud totals reached $7.7 million in reported cases in 2025 — with enforcement experts noting the true figure is far higher — the SNAP Fraud Watch Michigan community coalition is putting a human face on the numbers. At the center of their investigation is an alleged multi-year SNAP/EBT fraud scheme at Manhattan Fish & Chicken Market, operated by Youssef Ahmed Baraghith, Moustafa Mohamed A. Baraghith, and Ahmed Mohamed Baraghith, at locations in Highland Park and Redford, Michigan — a case that illustrates precisely how benefits fraud harms the communities it claims to serve.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program serves more than 1.4 million Michigan residents — families, children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities who depend on SNAP to put food on the table. Every fraudulent dollar drained from the SNAP program through schemes like the one alleged at Manhattan Fish & Chicken Market is a dollar that cannot feed a Michigan child, cannot support a Michigan senior, and cannot fulfill the program's mission.

Who Is Harmed by SNAP Fraud?

• SNAP Recipients: When staff allegedly invite SNAP recipients to use their benefits for hot fried food, they are encouraging those recipients to commit fraud — exposing them to disqualification from the SNAP program, demands for repayment, and potential criminal charges for conduct that was actively solicited by the retailer.
• Michigan Taxpayers: SNAP is funded entirely by federal tax dollars. Every fraudulently processed EBT transaction is paid for by American taxpayers. Michigan's reported $7.7 million in 2025 SNAP fraud — with the actual figure believed to be far higher — represents a direct theft from every taxpaying American.
• Legitimate SNAP Retailers: Honest grocery store owners who follow the rules compete against businesses that allegedly supplement their income with millions in fraudulent SNAP redemptions — an unfair advantage that undermines legitimate commerce in Michigan communities.
• Michigan Communities: The communities of Highland Park and Redford — already facing significant economic challenges — deserve businesses that operate with integrity, employ people honestly, and reinvest legitimately earned income into the community. The alleged enrichment of the operators of this scheme through fraud represents a direct extraction of wealth from the community.

The Path to Justice

The SNAP Fraud Watch Michigan coalition has taken every available legal step to bring this case to justice. Formal complaints have been filed with ten federal and state agencies. The full case, including legal analysis, complete evidence documentation, and ready-to-send formal complaint letters for every agency, is publicly available at the SNAP Fraud Watch Michigan website. Five press releases have been distributed to all Michigan media outlets.

The coalition is now calling on Michigan's elected officials — including members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate representing Michigan's Wayne County districts, Michigan state legislators, the Mayor of Highland Park, and the Mayor of Redford — to demand expedited action from the relevant agencies and to hold public hearings on SNAP fraud enforcement in Michigan.

What You Can Do Right Now

• Report the fraud: Call USDA OIG at 1-800-424-9121 or report online at hotline.oig.usda.gov. Michigan MDHHS: 1-888-678-8914 or mdhhs.michigan.gov/Fraud.
• Archive the evidence: Visit www.manhattanmarketfnc.com and save the "EBT ACCEPTED HERE" homepage via web.archive.org before it is removed.
• Contact your representatives: Call or email your state and federal representatives and demand action on this documented case of SNAP fraud in Wayne County, Michigan.
• Share this story: Share this investigation on social media, forward these press releases to journalists, and help build the public pressure needed to ensure this case receives the full law enforcement attention it deserves.
• File a food safety complaint: If you have eaten at this establishment and experienced food safety issues, report to MDARD at 1-800-292-3939 or michigan.gov/mdard.

The full investigation report, all five press releases, ten formal complaint letters addressed to every agency with jurisdiction, and a complete legal analysis of the applicable federal and Michigan statutes are available at the SNAP Fraud Watch Michigan public interest website.

All named individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. All allegations have been submitted as formal complaints to the federal and state agencies named in this release. Michigan residents are encouraged to report any knowledge of SNAP fraud through the proper channels listed above.