Man Charged with $13,000 EBT Fraud in Lancaster

Ioannis Alecsopoulos, a 27-year-old man, has been charged with stealing thousands of dollars in public assistance benefits using fraudulent Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards at an ATM in Lancaster, California. He was arrested on February 1 during an undercover operation targeting EBT fraud, where he allegedly withdrew over $4,000 and attempted to withdraw more than $13,000 using nine different fraudulent cards. Authorities recovered multiple devices associated with EBT skimming, including nine skimming devices and 94 re-encoded gift cards. Alecsopoulos faces multiple charges, including 10 counts of felony identity theft and three counts of felony grand theft, which could result in a maximum of 10 years in state prison if convicted. District Attorney Nathan Hochman emphasized the negative impact of EBT theft on vulnerable individuals and the importance of prosecuting such crimes. The case highlights a significant issue of EBT fraud in California, which has resulted in over $100 million in stolen funds over the past year.