A federal grand jury indicted a man accused of installing card-skimming devices on payment terminals in Washington County.
Bly Gnionsiekan Rodoophe Kehi was indicted Oct. 7 on charges of conspiracy to commit access-device fraud and possession of device-making equipment, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon. Prosecutors allege Kehi placed skimming devices on retail payment terminals in the county to capture customers' Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card information.
The indictment was among 11 new federal indictments announced Wednesday, Oct. 21, by U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford at a news conference at the federal courthouse in Portland. Bradford said his office has arrested or charged at least 40 people since 2024 in federal cases involving alleged Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit theft, KGW reported. The cases account for more than $3 million in alleged losses.
Prosecutors have not identified which Washington County stores Kehi allegedly targeted.
"If you steal from SNAP recipients, if you skim EBT cards, if you run fraud schemes that target our most vulnerable, your time is up," Bradford said at the news conference.
Skimming devices capture data from the magnetic strips on EBT cards when swiped at a payment terminal. Criminals then use the stolen numbers and PINs to create counterfeit cards and make unauthorized purchases, according to prosecutors.
Oregon has the third-highest rate of SNAP fraud in the country, according to federal prosecutors, KATU reported. Bradford said stolen card information from Oregon recipients can be used to make purchases in other states. The merchandise is then transported elsewhere for resale.
The Kehi case is one piece of a broader crackdown.
In the largest case, 17 people were charged in October 2024 with stealing more than $2.4 million in SNAP benefits between August 2023 and October 2024. Investigators allege the group purchased more than 120,000 pounds of infant formula, energy drinks and other goods using stolen EBT accounts. The merchandise was stored in Oregon and Washington, then shipped to California for black-market resale. Twelve defendants have been sentenced to a combined 157 months in prison.
A second case charged Alexandru Telescu and 11 others in November 2025 with an estimated $700,000 in losses. Telescu pleaded guilty Sept. 29 to access-device fraud and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled for sentencing Jan. 28, 2027.
Ten additional defendants were charged in separate cases in September and October. The U.S. Attorney's Office estimated losses in those cases at $143,000.
Bradford said victims may not receive replacement benefits when their funds are stolen, leaving them without food assistance for the rest of the month. More than 600,000 Oregonians receive SNAP benefits.
Oregon's EBT cards do not yet have embedded chip technology, which makes them vulnerable to skimming. The Oregon Department of Human Services plans to begin piloting chip-enabled EBT cards with 1,000 cardholders in December, KGW reported. New cards will be distributed statewide in two phases in early 2027, according to the department. The department plans to publish webpages in English and Spanish during the first week of November with the rollout schedule and details about what cardholders can expect.
Residents who suspect EBT card fraud can contact the Oregon Department of Human Services or call the USDA Office of Inspector General hotline at 1-800-424-9121.
