BANGOR, Maine — A local teenager was charged with misuse of identification Saturday night after attempting to buy soda with food stamps that belonged to another person, Bangor police Lt. Tom Reagan said Monday.
The 17-year-old, whom police are not identifying because he is a juvenile, “tried to use someone else’s EBT card” at around 9:45 p.m., the lieutenant said.
EBT — or electronic benefit transfer — cards are issued to needy people who qualify for the Department of Health and Human Services’ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and are meant to be used to pay for food.
The teenager, who is on probation, was charged and then released to a custodial parent, Reagan said. (Nok-Noi Ricker, BDN)
Which most likely this person that owns the card gave permission to the teenager. I see it happen alot. I was at shaws two days ago and witnessed a lady(with five kids i might add) sell her food stamp card value which had she said 635.00 on it for 250.00 cash. Kind of sad, but this stuff happens all the time. People will buy them to save money on food
Did you report this to anyone, and if not why? I am all for helping folks that truly need it but feel that abuses of the system should be dealt with harshly….
I’m sorry there is a lot of abuse of the system out there.
but with five kids who’s to say she didn’t need money for the light bill
You can’t buy diapers,toothpaste,or t.p. with food stamps
even if she needed it, it’s not exscuse to break the law, theirs other ways out there to get the things you need even if you can’t afford them your self…
Really does not matter if it is or not, dhs does not care as they say, well we will send a investigator out to watch cameras. Its bull crap they dont
Whatever measures have been taken to put this young man on the right path have not worked. It may be in everyone’s interest-including his- to have him spend some time where EBT cards are not needed. I’m sure the folks at Charleston would be glad to hand this youngster a cold drink after a morning of working at something productive. He’s early in his life-fix him before he’s too broken to repair.
No, they do not serve soda at the facilities now, when i worked there they did, but no longer, they have to buy it
Thanks for clearing that up-maybe a glass of water after doing something to improve his prospects for the future.
I’m sure there is more to this. What if the owner of the card had sent this kid out to get stuff for him? I know that some elderly can’t go shopping for themselves, and have others run their errands.
Before anyone blast me- I am by no means suggesting that he was buying a soda for an elderly shut in. I’m just saying that there has to be other reasons for the police to have charged him, like proof it was stolen, or purchased. Reasons they haven’t stated.
doesn’t it make you feel nice to know that our tax dollars go to support low-lifes like this.
Thanks liberals!
And too, thank you liberals for helping those vast majority of EBT users who are in a tough spot in their lives who actually need the supplements to survive.
I am not sure I would qualify soda as a need for survival.
I didn’t say otherwise. But if you’re going to blame liberals for the bad in the EBT system, then you have to give them credit for what’s good in it too. The majority of EBT users don’t game the system and they actually do need the supplements to survive.
I didn’t blame liberals for anything. I do blame big government on both sides. I am aware that some people need help and I respect those who are working, trying to support a family, who have no other choice but to accept some help as they try to get on their feet. I do however know that there are many out there who know how to abuse the system and do. Those are the people I do not want to give my hard earned money to. If you insist that there is little abuse of social services than you are part of the problem.
I hope that you never find a time that you are in need of assistance….but if you ever do I hope that there is a system in place to help you….I’m sure that there will be many more comments like yours…the right wing propaganda machine has waged its war on the poor and its soldiers are falling in lock step…..Jesus would be so proud……
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low lifes like this… so one bad apple makes the whole apple tree useless?… i work full time, as well as part time. I help take care of and support my girlfriends daughter (she’s more my daughter than the fathers). we pay our rent. we pay our bills. we pay for everyhing we CAN, yet ends sometimes still don’t meet… have you ever had to make a choice of get heating fuel to stay warm or buy groceries so you could eat?. . . didn’t think so. you shouldn’t talk down and degrade a person (or persons in this matter), until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes. we get help with food now and guess what we’re not scumbags… my how ignorance becomes of you.. hope you have a wonderful day and NEVER have to walk in my shoes, you wouldn’t make it 25 feet
so you’re on the internet 2 hrs ago and it’s 9 pm now. I am assuming you are using your own internet via phone, cpu, or whatever. yet you can not afford food….?
I to receive aid in the form of health care, do I truly NEED it? well I’m here commenting and it’s 9pm.. I can afford to pay for internet…..
Proudfrombangor lets have an honest talk about this.Your story is very much like mine but I think our views are way different.
The owner of the EBT card shouldn’t of gave this kid their pin number. What do you think is going to happen?
Is there anyone else that gets annoyed by the system that feels they need to continue to “protect” a “minor” who is also most an adult especially when said “minor” has already been in trouble at least once with the law? Maybe a little good old fashion shaming might do some good…
i don’t think you’d feel the same way if it was you teenager/kid. . . just sayin’
I would and give them permission to do so.
I think I definitely would – it might be the only thing that would get through to them about how serious the situation is. It goes back to being a parent first and foremost. There is the old adage that if your kids aren’t mad at you at least once a day you are not doing your job as a parent… that might be a little extreme; but as a parent it is your job to see them grow up to be responsible members of the community. At this point, that does not seem to be happening with a lot of our “young people” nowadays.
Why can someone even buy soda with foodstamps?
There is nothing to say that products can’t be coded or the card itself coded to prohibit purchase certain items. Including chips and soda.
Come on left I’m waiting for a reply. I would love to read a justification for someone needing to buy soda with foodstamps…..
I would think no matter what side you lean, both left and right could agree that soda should be excluded for purchase with foodstamps. Am I wrong?
I agree, soda and other non healthy foods should be banned from the foodstamp program. In fact I think the foodstamp program should be modeled after the WIC program…I also feel that personal hygiene items should be included…
Hallalujah!!! I would love to see much more of this. Maybe it would finally get the kids to stop trading in their EBT cards and money to feed them for drugs. This is LONG overdue and something we should have been seeing ever since they decided to start overhauling DHHS. What they need to do now is put the pictures on the cards themselves of the individual they are assigned to just like a State ID or License.
I agree the system needs to be changed to prevent abuse, but putting pics on the cards, or requiring the showing of an ID isn’t the best idea.
Only one card is issued per household. That means if it’s in Mom’s name, she wouldn’t be able to send Dad to the store if they compare picture IDs. Or if Great Granny is unable to get out of her bed, she can’t send her nice neighbor to get her groceries.
Yes, it needs to be fixed, but not quite that way.
EBT — or electronic benefit transfer — cards are issued to needy people who qualify for the Department of Health and Human Services’ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and are meant to be used to pay for food.
Shouldn’t it say lazy instead of needy?
….
A kid learning to “play” the system. We will see his photo in the paper many times over the course of his life. The government did this to him.
the government did this to him? … really?! at his age, he should know right from wrong, and if doesn’t care about the consequnces than i’m pretty sure parents and lack of discipline or supervision for that matter are the key factors here. . . but hey if makes you feel better inside to blame the government for the way a HUMAN acts than so be it
This kid is a generational byproduct of a ebt card welfare mentality. If the government can take the credit for helping someone in need they can just as well accept responsibility for the byproduct it creates as a result.
Make people reliant on the government and the government has control over them.
Times are tough for everyone right now and there is not excuse for this type of stuff happening other than stealing. I have gone from having such good credit that I could get anything I wanted, to having such bad credit that I can’t even get the highest interest credit cards. I am not asking anyone for help. Only for work. I was even turned down at Home Depot as an installer because I have bad credit. I can’t stand these beggers you see at intersections asking for hand outs. If you have enough energy to stand on the side of the road all day begging then you can go to McDonalds and sweep the floors. If yor not willing to help yourself to make your situation better then don’t ask me to help you. I say drug test all welfare receivers. Other states are doing it and so should we.
Do we protect the minors in the countries we bomb??? Hey we’ll be doing your neighborhood this afternoon you and your mom get out of there. Nope we don’t women and children aren’t exempt from our bombings… Yet in the united States we protect kids from emotional distress. lets not keep score or grade their papers so no one feels bad… God Bless this country
It is about time they star cracking down on this stuff.
It’s all FREE! Just swipe your EBT!