An Italian national living unlawfully in Oregon was sentenced to federal prison after a scheme that drained roughly $2.4 million in SNAP benefits from vulnerable households across several states. The case exposes a coordinated fraud ring that used skimming technology, cloned benefit cards, and bulk grocery purchases to fuel a black market operation. Multiple federal and local agencies joined the probe, and a jury indictment led to prison time, supervised release, and restitution orders. This article walks through the timeline, the methods, the quotes from officials, and the agencies involved.
Giovanni Spirea, 29, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release, and a restitution order of $61,874.32. Court filings and the sentencing reflect his central role in a larger conspiracy that targeted the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Officials characterized him as part of a group that turned government help for needy families into a source of profit for criminals. The sentencing is meant to punish and deter future thefts from assistance programs.
From August 2023 to October 2024, investigators say Spirea and co-conspirators deployed electronic skimming devices to capture account data from EBT cards and then encoded that data onto cloned cards. The stolen information was used to make large, repeated purchases of SNAP-eligible items at grocery stores and through curb-side pickup systems. Authorities estimate the fraud resulted in the illegal diversion of benefits valued at more than $2.4 million. The operation was sophisticated enough to store and move massive quantities of goods across state lines.
“Protecting government funded programs, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program isn’t just about preserving funds – it’s about safeguarding trust in a vital lifeline that millions of families depend on to put food on the table,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott E. Bradford. The federal prosecutor framed the case as protecting both money and public confidence in assistance programs that serve food-insecure Americans. Law enforcement officials emphasized that theft from these programs directly harms the households they are meant to help.
Over the life of the conspiracy the group purchased more than 120,000 pounds of goods, according to court records, and they used residential properties and storage units in Oregon and Washington as staging points. Those goods — infant formula, energy drinks, and nonperishable food items among them — were then packaged and transported to California in private vehicles and commercial carriers. Once in market, the items were sold through black market channels that converted stolen benefits into cash and profit for the conspirators.
“The USDA OIG is dedicated to upholding the integrity of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. We will work relentlessly with our law enforcement partners to pursue justice and hold conspirators accountable for stealing SNAP benefits from American families. We thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service, Portland Police Bureau, Oregon Department of Justice, Vancouver Police Department, and all our partner agencies on this joint investigation,” said U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General (USDA OIG) Special Agent-in-Charge Shawn Dionida. That statement underlines the multiagency nature of the probe and the commitment to follow complex financial crime networks wherever they lead.
Spirea reportedly shared stolen account information with other members of the ring, enabling coordinated bulk purchases across grocery stores in Oregon, Washington, and California. The conspirators exploited online ordering and curb-side pickup systems to convert benefits into high-demand items that could be moved and sold. Local stores became a repeated point of sale for illicit transactions that fed the larger theft operation. Investigators traced patterns of purchases and shipments that tied the activity back to the defendants.
“The theft of benefits intended for families in need is a serious crime,” said Portland Police Chief Bob Day. The statement from local law enforcement emphasized accountability and the city’s role in the joint investigation. Portland police worked alongside federal partners to follow leads, secure evidence, and dismantle storage and distribution points used by the conspirators. The collaboration extended into multiple jurisdictions where seizures and arrests were coordinated.
On October 9, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a 16-count indictment charging Spirea and sixteen co-conspirators, including counts of Conspiracy to Defraud the United States and Unauthorized Use of Access Devices. On July 30, 2025, Spirea pleaded guilty to Count One of the Indictment charging Conspiracy to Defraud the United States. The formal charges and plea highlight the federal government’s approach to prosecuting complex benefit fraud and unauthorized use of access devices across state lines.
“By siphoning millions of dollars in government funds intended for food-insecure households, this illegal criminal alien proved to be one of the worst of the worst,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. The case was investigated by the USDA OIG, HSI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Portland Police Bureau, the Oregon Department of Justice, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, the Vancouver Police Department, the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Gresham Police Department, and the Redmond, Washington Police Department Financial Fraud and Identification Theft Task Force. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey A. Barrow and Nicholas D. Meyers for the District of Oregon, with assistance from U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Western District of Washington and Central District of California.
Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.
