Nadia International Market v. United States of America
Filing
36
OPINION AND ORDER Granting 15 Motion for Summary Judgment. Signed by Chief Judge Christina Reiss on 12/2/2015. (pac)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE
DISTRICT OF VERMONT
NADIA INTERNATIONAL MARKET,
Plaintiff,
v.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Defendant.
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Case No. 5:14-cv-82
OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANT'S
MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT
(Doc. 15)
Plaintiff Nadia International Market brings this action pursuant to 7 U.S.C.
§ 2023(13) and 7 C.F.R. § 279.7 seeking judicial review ofthe April2, 2014 decision by
the United States Department of Agriculture (the "Agency") permanently disqualifying
Plaintiff from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (the "SNAP Program").
Plaintiff, a food retailer located in Winooski, asserts that the Agency unfairly and
wrongfully permanently terminated its participation in the SNAP Program and deprived it
of its due process rights.
Pending before the court is Defendant United States of America's Motion for
Summary Judgment. (Doc. 15.) Defendant argues that it is entitled to judgment as a
matter of law because there are no genuine issues of material fact with respect to
Plaintiffs violation of SNAP Program regulations and thus the Agency's decision to
permanently disqualify Plaintiff was neither arbitrary nor capricious. Defendant further
contends that the regulatory process and availability of judicial review satisfy Plaintiffs
due process rights. Plaintiff opposes the motion.
The court heard oral argument on August 27, 2015, at which time the court
granted Plaintiffs request to submit additional information through a Statement of
Disputed Facts. On September 17, 20 15, Plaintiff submitted a supplemental
memorandum, an affidavit from Plaintiffs owner Yahya Ikhmayyis, and a statement that
it objected to paragraphs 4 and 6 of Defendant's Statement of Undisputed Material Facts.
Defendant submitted its reply on September 24, 2015, at which time the court took the
matter under advisement.
Plaintiff is represented by Jasdeep S. Pannu, Esq. Defendant is represented by
Assistant United States Attorney Melissa A. D. Ranaldo.
I.
The Undisputed Facts.
A.
The SNAP Program.
The Food and Nutrition Service ("FNS"), a division of the Agency, administers
the SNAP Program, which allows qualifying households to receive monthly allotments to
purchase eligible food items at authorized retail stores. Qualifying households receive
their benefits through plastic Electronic Benefit Transfer ("EBT") cards that function like
debit cards.
SNAP Program regulations prohibit authorized retail stores from "trafficking," or
exchanging EBT benefits for cash. FNS maintains a national database that records every
EBT transaction at every authorized retail store throughout the country. It utilizes the
"Anti-Fraud Locator using Electronic Benefit Retailer Transactions" ("ALERT")
computer program to identify statistically unusual EBT transaction patterns and monitor
compliance with SNAP Program regulations. Based on the contents of an ALERT report,
FNS may open an administrative case, commence an investigation, and initiate an
enforcement action against an authorized retail store. Enforcement actions may result in
permanent disqualification from the SNAP Program.
B.
The FNS Investigation and the Final Agency Decision.
Since November of 2010, Plaintiff has participated in the SNAP Program in the
course of operating as an authorized retail store in Winooski, Vermont. In 2012, FNS
commenced an investigation after Plaintiffs transactions appeared in ALERT reports
from August 2012 through October 2012. The ALERT reports identified five categories
of statistically unusual EBT transactions: ( 1) forty-two transactions ending in the samecents value; (2) twenty-seven rapid sets of purchases (fifty-four total transactions) of
2
multiple items by different households with timeframes ranging from fifty-one seconds to
two minutes and fifty-one seconds between transactions; (3) twenty-eight rapid and
repetitive transaction sets (fifty-four total transactions amounting to $4,416.03) involving
the same household with timeframes between transactions ranging from fifty seconds to
twenty-two hours and fifty-one minutes; (4) thirty-six transaction sets by the same
household that depleted the majority of monthly benefits in time frames ranging from one
minute and forty-one seconds to four hours and fifty-four minutes; and (5) fifty-two highdollar transactions ranging from $172.13 to $552.99 and totaling $13,777.17 that the
ALERT program "considered to be excessively large given the size and inventory of the
store." (AR 51-58, 63-69, 258-260.)
During the course of its investigation, FNS compared Plaintiffs EBT transactions
with other similarly-sized authorized retail stores in Vermont. From August 2012
through October 2012, twenty-two stores were operating within a one-mile radius of
Plaintiff, and twenty-eight stores were located within a one-to-two mile radius. The
average EBT transaction at similarly-sized authorized retail stores within a one-to-two
mile radius was $27.56, while Plaintiffs average EBT transaction was $40.18. For
example, from August through October of 2012, Banadir Market, which is zero miles
from Plaintiff and sells a comparable amount and variety of halal foods at similar prices,
had average monthly EBT transactions of$6,895.50. During the same time period,
Winooski Halal Store, which also sells a comparable amount and variety of halal food at
similar prices and is located half a mile from Plaintiff, had average monthly EBT
transactions of $5,054.69. Plaintiffs average monthly EBT transaction total of
$16,949.00 was approximately 2.5 times Banadir Market's average and 3.35 times
Winooski Halal Store's average.
On October 16, 2012, a FNS field officer inspected Plaintiffs store, photographed
the interior and exterior, and observed inventory, stock, pricing, the checkout area and
process, and its physical layout. The FNS field officer reported that Plaintiff had one
point-of-service ("POS") device, one cash register, no optical scanners, no conveyor
belts, approximately ten hand-held shopping baskets, no shopping carts, two employees,
3
and a checkout counter that was approximately four feet by three feet. Plaintiff did not
sell hot food, sandwiches, or cold cuts and had no promotional pricing, specials, or
packaged items. With the exception of lamb by the pound, Plaintiff did not sell bulk
items. The three most expensive items in the store that qualified as eligible for the SNAP
Program were a forty kilogram bag of semolina for $69.00, Nestle Instant Cream for
$29.99, and lamb by the pound at $6.00 per pound, and the price of most items ended in
ninety-nine cents. The FNS field officer spoke to Ahmed Arif, the store clerk, who stated
that Mr. Ikhmayyis occasionally extends credit to a few customers but was unable to
produce a ledger of such transactions. Based on the results of its site visit, the
comparison to similar stores, and the ALERT reports, FNS determined that Plaintiff was
engaged in trafficking ofEBT benefits.
On November 28, 2012, the Operations Division ofFNS notified Mr. Ikhmayyis
in writing that Plaintiff had violated the SNAP Program regulation prohibiting trafficking
based on EBT transactions that "establish[ed] clear and repetitive patterns ofunusual,
irregular, and inexplicable [SNAP Program] activity for your type of firm." (Doc. 15-2 at
1.) 1 The letter further informed Mr. Ikhmayyis that FNS was considering permanent
disqualification from the SNAP Program and invited him to submit evidence in Plaintiffs
defense.
On November 30, 2012, Mr. Ikhmayyis, through his friend and interpreter Wafic
Faour, contacted Program Specialist David Dombroski by telephone. On December 1,
2012, he contacted Mr. Dombroski by letter. In both communications, Mr. Ikhmayyis
insisted that the EBT transactions noted in the charge letter were the result of his practice
of extending credit to customers, including allowing partial payment of credit balances
which resulted in large even-dollar transactions. Mr. Ikhmayyis also asserted that he
rounded transaction totals to the nearest dollar in accordance with Iraqi custom. Mr.
1
The November 28, 2012 letter to Mr. Ikhmayyis was inadvertently omitted from the
Administrative Record and was thus attached to Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment as
Exhibit A.
4
Ikhmayyis requested a grace period to resolve the credit accounts and submitted a 90page credit ledger that he purportedly kept at the store.
On December 19, 2012, FNS again notified Mr. Ikhmayyis in writing that Plaintiff
was being charged with trafficking and repeated the five categories of suspicious EBT
transactions. FNS attached the ALERT reports upon which the charges were based and
the EBT data for every transaction identified. FNS informed Mr. Ikhmayyis that he could
provide documentation for consideration prior to issuance of a final decision; that he
could request a Civil Money Penalty ("CMP") in lieu of disqualification; and that if he
requested a CMP, he would need to establish that Plaintiff qualified for one. On
December 22, 2012, Mr. Ikhmayyis, through Mr. Faour, requested in writing that the
Administrative Review Branch review Plaintiffs case. He stated that he had a limited
ability to speak and understand English and asked "what [Plaintiff] must do to be in
compliance with SNAP regulations." (AR 196.) On December 27, 2012, Administrative
Review Officer Lorie Conneen sent Mr. lkhmayyis a letter, requesting any additional
information in support of Plaintiffs position and advising that in the absence of
information establishing the grounds on which Mr. lkhmayyis was seeking review, his
request for review would be denied.
On January 8, 2013, Matthew Daly, Esq., Plaintiffs attorney at that time,
requested additional time to submit information in support of Plaintiffs position. On
January 8, 2014, Mr. Daly submitted a letter to Ms. Conneen including an affidavit from
Mr. lkhmayyis, a copy of the letter from Mr. Faour to Mr. Dombroski, a letter from
David H. Angolano, CPA, Plaintiffs accountant, and copies of Plaintiffs original
bookkeeping records. Mr. Ikhmayyis averred that Plaintiffs customers were
international refugees, and that Plaintiff provided them with customary and specialty
products. He repeated that he has a limited understanding of English, which made it
difficult to understand the SNAP Program's regulations. Mr. lkhmayyis stated that
Plaintiff never intended to violate the SNAP Program's regulations and that any violation
was inadvertent.
5
Mr. Angolano reviewed the transactions listed in the charge letter and the ALERT
reports as well as Plaintiffs ledger books. He stated that he found it difficult to reconcile
Plaintiffs ledger with the EBT transaction records, although at least three of the
transactions appeared to have been made against credit accounts. Mr. Angolano noted
that Plaintiff did not have any cash register receipts to support its sales and opined that
three of the transactions presented "major problem[s]" because they were separated by
seconds. (AR 216.) Mr. Angolano thus recommended that Mr. Ikhmayyis provide the
Agency with "a written explanation of what transpired, along with back up for the three
[transactions] identified in the ledgers[.]" !d.
On April2, 2014, the FNS Administrative Review Branch notified Plaintiffthat it
was sustaining the FNS Operations Division's recommendation to permanently disqualify
Plaintiff from the SNAP Program based on its conclusion that it was "more likely true
than not true that [SNAP P]rogram violations did, in fact, occur as charged." (AR 269)
(the "Final Agency Decision"). Plaintiff was further informed that the Administrative
Review Officer considered the investigative and administrative records, which formed
the basis of the Operations Division's recommendation, as well as Plaintiffs subsequent
explanations and submissions. In addition, FNS notified Plaintiff that it had determined
that it was not eligible for a CMP under the regulations because Plaintiff had not timely
requested or provided documentation or evidence to support its eligibility.
II.
The Disputed Facts.
Plaintiff disputes whether FNS maintains a national database which records all
EBT transactions at every qualified retail store throughout the United States. It is also
disputed whether the ALERT program identifies statistically unusual EBT transactions in
order to detect fraud or SNAP Program violations. Plaintiff contends that "Farmer's
Markets are allowed to round to the nearest dollar and are not subject to the same
automated electronic monitoring[,]" which it asserts "has a discriminatory effect on
minority owned businesses[.]" (Doc. 30 at 2.) Plaintiff cites no evidence in support of
these contentions and thus fails to comply with the requirements of Fed. R. Civ. P. 56 and
6
2
Vermont Local Rule 56. Accordingly, the court disregards them when considering
Defendant's motion.
As part of Plaintiffs post-hearing supplemental briefing, Mr. Ikhmayyis submitted
an affidavit stating he "frequently rounded the totals due on customer purchases to the
nearest dollar" and "frequently allowed customers to make purchases on credit so that
they could buy in bulk[.]" (Doc. 30-1 at 1.) Mr. Ikhmayyis provides no business records
in support of these contentions, however that omission goes to the evidentiary weight of
his statements under oath, rather than their admissibility. See Degelman Indus. Ltd. v.
Pro-Tech Welding & Fabrication, Inc., 2011 WL 6754065, at* 1 (W.D.N.Y. June 8,
2011) (considering affidavit concerning party's "own beliefs and recollections" on
motion for summary judgment and noting "[t]he absence of other evidence to corroborate
[party's] recollection goes towards the weight to be accorded to his [a]ffidavit, not its
admissibility").
III.
Conclusions of Law and Analysis.
A.
Summary Judgment Standard of Review.
Summary judgment must be granted when the record shows there is no genuine
dispute as to any material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of
law. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). "A fact is 'material' ... when it 'might affect the
outcome of the suit under the governing law[,]"' and "[a]n issue of fact is 'genuine' if
'the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving
party."' Jeffreys v. City of New York, 426 F.3d 549, 553 (2d Cir. 2005) (quoting
Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248 (1986) ("Factual disputes that are
irrelevant or unnecessary will not be counted.")). "If, as to the issue on which summary
2
Vermont Local Rule 56(b) states that "[a] party opposing summary judgment ... must provide
a separate, concise statement of disputed material facts." Subsection (c) further requires that the
non-movant's statement "must be supported as required by Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c)[,]" which
requires the non-movant cite to "particular parts of materials in the record, including depositions,
documents, electronically stored information, affidavits or declarations, stipulations (including
those made for purposes of the motion only), admissions, interrogatory answers, or other
materials[.]" Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(e)(2), all material facts in the movant's statement of
undisputed facts are deemed to be admitted unless controverted by the opposing party's
statement.
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judgment is sought, there is any evidence in the record from which a reasonable inference
could be drawn in favor of the opposing party, summary judgment is improper." Sec. Ins.
Co. ofHartfordv. Old Dominion Freight Line Inc., 391 F.3d 77, 82-83 (2d Cir. 2004)
(internal quotation marks omitted).
The moving party "always bears the initial responsibility of informing the district
court of the basis for its motion, and identifying those portions of the pleadings,
depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the
affidavits, if any, which it believes demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of material
fact." Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323 (1986) (internal quotation marks
omitted). "When the moving party has carried its burden under Rule 56(c), its opponent
must do more than simply show that there is some metaphysical doubt as to the material
facts. [Rather], the nonmoving party must come forward with specific facts showing that
there is a genuine issue for trial." Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475
U.S. 574, 586-87 (1986) (internal quotation marks, citations, emphasis, and footnotes
omitted).
B.
Judicial Review of a Final Agency Determination.
A store owner aggrieved by a final Agency determination "may obtain judicial
review thereof by filing a complaint against the United States in the United States court
for the district in which it resides or is engaged in business ... requesting the court to set
aside such determination." 7 U.S.C. § 2023(a)(13). Judicial review of permanent
disqualification from the SNAP Program is "a trial de novo . .. in which the court shall
determine the validity of the questioned administrative action in issue[.]" !d. at
§ 2023(a)(15); see also Ibrahim v. United States, 834 F .2d 52, 53 (2d Cir. 1987) ("[T]he
Food Stamp Act requires the district court to reexamine the [A]gency's decision on a
fresh record, rather than determining whether the administrative decision was supported
by substantial evidence .... [S]uch review atiord[s] appellant due process."). Although
the statute:
provides no further guidance regarding how the trial should proceed or
which party bears the burden of proof[,] ... in a trial de novo under § 2023,
8
other circuits have held consistently that, given the nature of the statutory
scheme, a store owner who seeks to set aside an [A]gency action bears the
burden of proof.
Fells v. United States, 627 F.3d 1250, 1253 (7th Cir. 2010) (collecting cases holding store
owner bears burden of proof); see also Redmond v. United States, 507 F.2d 1007, 101112 (5th Cir. 1975) ("[B]y requiring the aggrieved store to file a complaint in the district
court requ~sting the court to set aside the [A]gency determination, the Act casts the
burden of being the plaintiff on the aggrieved store with all of the usual responsibilities of
a plaintiff in obtaining relief trom a court, including the burden of proving facts to show
that he is entitled to relief. In other words, the [A]gency action stands, unless the plaintiff
proves that it should be set aside").
The applicable standard of proof is by a preponderance of the evidence. See
Ibrahim, 834 F.2d at 53 (concluding "the district court must reach its own factual and
legal conclusions based on the preponderance of the evidence") (internal quotation marks
omitted). "[S]ummary judgment has been held to be appropriate on de novo judicial
review of a disqualification of a retail food store from participating in the [SNAP
Program] if no genuine issue of material fact exists." Kassem v. United States, 2003 WL
21382906, at *2 (W.D.N.Y. Apr. 15, 2003) (internal quotation marks omitted); see also
Nagi v. United States, 1997 WL 252034, at *2 (S.D.N.Y. May 14, 1997) (granting
summary judgment and affirming permanent disqualification where no disputed facts
existed).
1.
Whether Plaintiff Has Established by a Preponderance of the
Evidence that It Did Not Engage in Trafficking.
The Agency asserts that it is entitled to judgment as a matter of law because
Plaintiff fails to establish by a preponderance of the evidence that it did not engage in
trafficking. Plaintiff does not contest the validity of the ALERT reports, the comparison
of Plaintiffs average monthly EBT transactions with the averages of comparable stores
within a two mile radius, or the FNS field officer's site visit and report. Accordingly, the
court "consider[s] the[se] fact[s] undisputed for purposes of the motion[.]" Fed. R. Civ.
P. 56(e)(2). Plaintiff nonetheless argues that facts in the Administrative Record do not
9
support the conclusion that it trafficked EBT benefits in violation of SNAP Program
regulations.
The governing statute and regulation permit the Agency to base its final
determination of SNAP Program violations on analysis ofEBT transactions reports,
redemption data analysis, and a field officer's report. See 7 U.S.C. § 202l(a)(2)
(allowing FNS to disqualify an authorized retail store based on "on-site investigations,
inconsistent redemption data, or evidence obtained through a transaction report under an
electronic benefit transfer system"); 7 C.F .R. § 278.6(a) (same). Courts have recognized
that the Agency may rely on these forms of evidence as well. See, e.g., Young Choi Inc.
v. United States, 639 F. Supp. 2d 1169, 1179 (D. Haw. 2009) ("The law is clear that FNS
may base its finding of a violation on analysis of EBT transaction reports or on-site store
surveys"). 3 The Agency thus need not catch a store "red-handed" to support its
determination of trafficking. See Kahin v. United States, 101 F. Supp. 2d 1299, 1303
(S.D. Cal. 2000) (rejecting argument that "summary judgment is inappropriate without
evidence of 'red-handed' violations").
In this case, the Agency submitted ALERT reports containing over two hundred
statistically unusual EB T transactions that comprise five categories of anomalies based
on Plaintiffs sales between August and October of2012. The ALERT program detected
forty-two transactions ending in an even-dollar amount, despite the fact that the price of
most items in Plaintiffs store end in ninety-nine cents. The number of even-dollar
transactions over the investigative period was thus indicative of trafficking because the
number failed to correspond with Plaintiffs actual pricing. See Afr. Grocery Store v.
United States, 2008 WL 782731, at *5 (E.D. Mo. Mar. 20, 2008) (opining that thirty-two
3
See also Kahin v. United States, 101 F. Supp. 2d 1299, 1303 (S.D. Cal. 2000) (granting
summary judgment in Agency's favor where FNS "relie[d] on the irregular and inexplicable
patterns in the EBT data, as well as on the sheer volume of transactions compared to inventory of
store goods, to find conclusive evidence of[the store's] trafficking offood stamps"); Rockland
Convenience Store v. United States, 2011 WL 5120410, at *8 (D. N.H. Oct. 27, 2011) ("It is
indisputable ... that a 'court may grant the government's motion for summary judgment based
on evidence from transactions reports[]"') (quoting Young Choi Inc. v. United States, 639 F.
Supp. 2d 1169, 1178 (D. Haw. 2009)).
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"even-dollar food stamp transactions revealed an inordinate and disproportionate number
of such transactions given the variety of product-pricing in the store").
Although Plaintiff asserts that Mr. lkhmayyis frequently rounds prices for
customers in accordance with Iraqi custom and that Plaintiffs customers pay credit
balances in even-dollar amounts, Plaintiff has not identified any customers or ledger
entries to support this argument. Moreover, Plaintiffs accountant was able to attribute
only three of the transactions listed in the ALERT reports to charges made against credit
accounts. Plaintiff thus fails to sustain its burden of proof to explain the excessive
number of even-dollar amount transactions. See Rockland Convenience Store v. United
States, 2011 WL 5120410, at *10 (D. N.H. Oct. 27, 2011) (granting summary judgment
where plaintiff "failed to produce evidence sufficient to create a genuine issue of material
fact in support of its claim that all of its same-cents transactions beyond the national
norm resulted from the extension of credit rather than trafficking in [EBT] benefits").
As further evidence of trafficking, the Agency cites ALERT reports identifying
twenty-seven inordinately rapid sets of purchases of multiple items by different
households with timeframes ranging from fifty-one seconds to two minutes and forty-one
seconds and averaging over two hundred dollars per transaction. The FNS field officer
det'ermined that Plaintiff had only one POS device, one cash register, no optical scanners,
no conveyor belts, approximately ten hand-held shopping baskets, no shopping carts, two
employees, and a single checkout counter measuring approximately four feet by three
feet. The attributes of Plaintiffs store and its operations therefore support a conclusion
that these purchasing patterns are suspicious because it is arguably impossible for
different households to rapidly purchase large quantities of items in light of Plaintiffs
limited means of processing this type of order. See McClain's Mia. v. United States, 411
F. Supp. 2d 772, 774 (N.D. Ohio 2005) (identifying "multiple withdrawals totaling
excessively large amounts by two or more households within an unusually short time
frame" as one factor in trafficking determination where store had "only two short very
narrow aisles[] ... a small check-out area where a few groceries at a time could be placed
on the counter[] ... a hand-held optical scanner ... [and] no shopping baskets or carts").
11
In addition, it is unlikely that rapid transactions for different households would
approximate two hundred dollars without the sale of highly priced SNAP-eligible food
items, of which Plaintiffs store offered only three. See id. (considering store's dearth of
highly priced food items, "fresh or frozen meats, frozen fruits or vegetables, or meats or
cheeses by the pound" when assessing "charges of multiple withdrawals totaling
excessively large amounts by two or more households within an unusually short time
frame"); see also Afr. Grocery Store, 2008 WL 782731, at *5 (noting suspicious nature of
"series of ... transactions ... involving different recipient households within elapsed
time-frames which are likely impossible due to the store's limited inventory of eligible
food products and logistical factors dealing with the store's checkout procedures").
The fifty-four transactions reflecting multiple highly priced purchases with high
dollar transaction amounts by the same household in timeframes ranging from fifty
seconds to twenty-two hours and fifty-one minutes are also indicative of trafficking
because Plaintiff did not have a wide variety of highly priced food items available. It is
thus unlikely that, without shopping carts and with only a few handheld baskets, a
household could carry the items necessary to reach these high dollar amounts. Likewise,
without a large checkout area, a conveyor belt, or multiple cash registers or POS devices,
Plaintiffs clerks could not process multiple high purchase sales containing multiple items
in rapid succession.
Correspondingly, the thirty-six transaction sets depleting the majority of a
household's monthly benefits in a short period of time are indicative of trafficking
because they, again, would require sizable one-time purchases that are inconsistent with
Plaintiffs ability to process them in rapid succession. See Kahin, 101 F. Supp. 2d at
1300 (recounting FNS evidence of trafficking, including "a high number of balance
depletion transactions" by one household); Young Choi Inc., 639 F. Supp. 2d at 1178
(granting summary judgment in part because plaintiff failed to raise material issues of
fact as to "transactions that depleted customers' available food stamp balances").
Although Plaintiff claims these transactions reflect customers paying off their credit
balances, it offers no records in support of that claim. See Young Choi Inc., 639 F. Supp.
12
2d at 1179 (rejecting plaintiffs "general justifications for large expenditures" where
plaintiff "present[ ed] no facts directly rebutting the observations and analysis" of the
Agency).
With respect to the fifth category of statistically unusual EBT transactions,
Plaintiffs customers conducted a disproportionately large number of high-dollar
transactions during the three month investigation. In particular, the ALERT reports
highlighted fifty-two separate transactions ranging from $172.13 to $552.99 and totaling
$13,777.1 7, which appear excessive in light of Plaintiffs size, inventory, and pricing. In
addition, Plaintiffs average monthly EBT transactions from August to October of2012
were significantly higher than comparable stores located nearby and thus also indicative
of trafficking EBT benefits. See Hanna v. United States, 2007 WL 1016988, at *6 (E.D.
Mich. Mar. 30, 2007) (rejecting plaintiffs contention that the large quantity of high
dollar transactions was due to "the sorts of customers who frequent his store" and the
occasional sale of "meat bundles").
In summary, to dispute the Agency's evidence, Plaintiff"presents no explanation
of any of the ... transactions asserted against [P]laintiff, but merely presents general
justifications" for the statistically unusual EBT transactions. McClain's Mkt., 411 F.
Supp. 2d at 777. "Since only one instance of ... trafficking is sufficient to establish a
violation, the fact that Plaintiff has failed to explain these transactions or raise any
material issues of fact with respect to them indicates that Plaintiff has failed to meet [its]
burden." Kahin, 101 F. Supp. 2d at 1303. Even when examined in the light most
favorable to Plaintiff, a preponderance of the evidence establishes that Plaintiff was
engaged in trafficking ofEBT benefits. Summary judgment in Defendant's favor is thus
warranted. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a).
2.
Whether Plaintifrs Permanent Disqualification Was Arbitrary
and Capricious.
Plaintiff contends that the evidence in the record only supports a conclusion that it
extended credit to its customers in violation of the SNAP Program regulation. On that
basis, Plaintiff requests that the court vacate the Agency's sanction and impose a one year
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suspensiOn. In response, Defendant argues that the Agency's decision to permanently
disqualify Plaintiff from the SNAP Program was neither arbitrary nor capricious and
reflects the mandatory statutory penalty for EBT benefit trafficking.
The Agency's action is arbitrary and capricious if it is "unwarranted in law or
without justification in fact." Willy's Grocery v. United States, 656 F.2d 24,26 (2d Cir.
1981), cert. denied, 454 U.S. 1148 (1982) (internal quotation marks omitted). If the
Agency has followed its guidelines, 4 the reviewing court may not overturn its decision as
arbitrary and capricious. !d. "Whether the imposition of a penalty by ... FNS [is]
arbitrary or capricious is a matter of law appropriately determined on a motion for
summary judgment." Lugo v. United States, 2009 WL 928136, at *3 (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 30,
2009) (internal quotation marks omitted); see also 183 Bronx Deli Grocery Corp. v.
United States, 2012 WL 2359664, at *4 (S.D.N.Y. June 18, 2012) (concluding court must
determine whether Agency's sanction was '"unwarranted in law or without justification
in fact"').
Permanent disqualification from the SNAP Program is mandated when an
authorized retail store is found to be engaged in trafficking. See 7 U.S.C.
§ 202l(b)(3)(B) (stating disqualification "shall be ... permanent upon ... the first
occasion of ... trafficking") (emphasis supplied). In this case, having determined by a
preponderance of the evidence that Plaintiff engaged in trafficking from August to
October of 2012, the Agency properly permanently disqualified Plaintiff from the SNAP
Program in compliance with the governing statute and regulation which require
permanent disqualification on "the first occasion" of trafficking. 5 !d.
4
Plaintiff does not argue that the Agency failed to follow its regulations and guidelines during its
initial investigatory or the subsequent review process. Plaintiff thus concedes that he "was
afforded the full range of procedural protections to which [it] was entitled ... including an initial
review at which he was able to make submissions, and a subsequent administrative review[.]"
Lugo v. United States, 2009 WL 928136, at *3 (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 30, 2009).
5
Pursuant to 7 U.S.C. § 2023(a)(16), "[i]fthe court determines that [an] administrative action is
invalid, it shall enter such judgment or order as it determines is in accordance with the law and
the evidence." Having concluded by a preponderance of the evidence that Plaintiff was engaged
14
The regulation cited by Plaintiff in support of its argument that a lesser sanction
was available but not explored, 7 C.F.R. § 278.6(e)(4)(ii), is inapplicable based on the
facts ofthis case. Section 278.6(e)(4)(ii) authorizes a one year disqualification if a
qualified retail store "has accepted food stamp benefits in payment for items sold to a
household on credit." Here, the Agency charged Plaintiff with trafficking EBT benefits
and Plaintiffs permanent disqualification arose out of that offense. To the extent that
Plaintiff argues that Defendant should have charged Plaintiff differently and issued a
CMP in lieu of permanent disqualification, Plaintiff failed to both timely request a CMP
and provide the factual evidence upon which a CMP could be granted.
Based on the foregoing, even when examined in the light most favorable to
Plaintiff, the undisputed facts establish that the Agency's sanction in this case was not
arbitrary and capricious and complied with the statute governing penalties for trafficking
EBT benefits. See 7 U.S.C. § 2021(b)(3)(B). In such circumstances, the court has no
authority to vacate Plaintiffs permanent disqualification from the SNAP Program and
substitute its own view of an appropriate sanction.
CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, the court GRANTS Defendant's Motion for Summary
Judgment. (Doc. 15.)
in trafficking, the mandatory penalty for which is permanent disqualification, see 7 U.S.C.
§ 2021(b)(3)(B), the court lacks the authority to impose an alternative penalty.
15
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