Department of Justice, District of Nevada, indicted Surjit “Sonny” Singh and Jaswinder “Jesse” Singh Jhattu, both of Reno, on eight counts for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, conspiracy to commit benefits fraud, possession of controlled substance and controlled substance analogue.

The two defendants, Surjit and Jaswinder, are charged with knowingly  and willfully conspired and agreed together and with each other,  and with other persons both known and unknown to the Grand Jury, to defraud the United States and Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute a Controlled Substance, Controlled Substance Analogue with intent  to distribute  and distribute a Schedule I controlled substance.

Additionally, the defendants are also charged for that they would by deceit, craft, trickery and dishonest means defraud the United States by interfering with and obstructing the lawful governmental functions of the United States Department of Agriculture, in that the defendants accepted SNAP benefits on an EBT card in a manner unauthorized by United States. 

It was further a part of the conspiracy that the defendants received, obtained, and possessed an EBT card with SNAP benefits from a third party.  The defendants provided ineligible items containing a controlled substance to the SNAP holder.

Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) is an electronic system that allows state welfare departments to issue benefits via a magnetically encoded payment card.  Food benefits are federally authorized benefits that can be used only to purchase food and non-alcoholic beverages. Food benefits are distributed through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly the Food Stamp Program.