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By Guy Page
A woman convicted of trafficking methamphetamine in Vermont has been sentenced to up to nine years in prison, following a case that involved the seizure of more than a pound of the drug and allegations that she accepted EBT cards as payment.
According to the Caledonian-Record’s Dec. 12 report, Danielle Faye Leach, 39, was sentenced earlier this month in Vermont Superior Court to a term of three to nine years. Leach was arrested in 2024 after law enforcement discovered more than a pound of methamphetamine in a camper she was using in Lunenburg. Prosecutors said she was dealing the drug and at times collected EBT cards in exchange for meth.
After her initial arrest, Leach was twice taken back into custody for failing to comply with conditions of her probation. Essex County State’s Attorney Vincent Illuzzi had sought a longer sentence of five to 15 years, citing the quantity of drugs involved and Leach’s criminal history, which includes prior offenses in New Hampshire. Under Vermont law, a conviction for trafficking methamphetamine carries a maximum possible sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
According to Illuzzi, police found a stack of EBT and gift cards, wrapped with rubber bands, along with the pound of methamphetamine. Leach had been accepting the EBT cards, which are provided to needy Vermonters in order to buy food, in exchange for payment of drugs.
The federal government, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provides most of the revenue for Vermont EBT cards. The program is managed by the Vermont Agency of Human Services. Allowing others to use an EBT card is fraud prohibited by state law.
EBT cards are automatically reloaded after 30 days. Applicants also must periodically reapply for benefits.
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Categories: Crime
Some of the junk food eligible for purchase with EBT/SNAP/3SquaresVT is just as bad for the human body as methamphetamine. The trade in illegal street drugs using EBT as payment has been going on for a long time in places like Massachusetts and as we now know, has blossomed in Minnesota. It’s long overdue to require a re-application
for all users and to require either a photo on the card or that use of the card requires showing a gov’t-issued picture ID that matches the authorized user. SNAP costs the American taxpayer $100 billion annually.
So if the cards are re-loaded every month how do they get replacement cards? If they say “lost” shouldn’t the funds be removed from that card? I was behind a woman at the grocery store with about 2 dozen cards in her wallet that she kept handing to the cashier to see what cards had balances on them. Sounds like the system is not administered very well!
Wouldn’t be surprised if they were cards with different names, had seen a report that there were hundreds of thousands of EBT cards issued to many names at the same street addresses
Have you never been in line at walmart or a grocery store behind someone who just INSISTS that there is money on their card, and finally pulls out a 2nd or 3rd card to try? It always seems to be the cashier’s fault that the card just wont give up it’s booty. It’s high time to put photos on all EBT cards or require that all uses of EBT be accompanied by a gov’t picture ID. Sorry for the hassle and supposed loss of privacy, but it’s a requirement for alcohol or tobacco purchases or cashing a check and would go a long way to prevent or reduce fraud to the SNAP program that costs the American taxpayer 100billion annually. Sorry, but if hundreds of dollars in free monthly food benefits comes with some fraud-prevention strings attached, if that offends you, feel free to not use it.
Now of course, they must know who the supply was that gave her the drugs to sell. The stack of EBT cards must have a name of the persons receiving the card.
Walmart cashiers would make incredible witnesses. Too bad we’re instructed to pretend everyone is innocent of everything even as they scam taxpayers in the open for us to see with our very own eyes. But let’s not let reality stop anything.
Amazing how we need a photo ID to drive, fly, buy alcohol & cannabis and various other interactions, but to ask for proof of identity to vote or spend taxpayer subsidies is considered discriminatory. 🤔🤔🤔
Much more convenient to trade directly for drugs. It’s cold this time of year and without the added benefit, recipients must stand around outside a store and solicit at 50 cents on the dollar. The state funds drug sales via EBT, probably intentionally, because a drugged, desperate population is easier to manage.