Convenience store owner faces federal charges involving food stamps

George J. Daoud

Man, 68, drowns at Caesar Creek Lake
5/26/12
Water rescues prompt warning from health officials
5/25/12
Beach Waterpark sued for failure to deliver
5/25/12
Raleigh Trammell’s defense opens in felony trial
5/25/12
UD to move satellite campus to Dublin
5/25/12
> More headlines

By Kelli Wynn, Staff Writer Updated 11:44 PM Thursday, February 2, 2012

DAYTON — The owner of the Main Express Food Mart, 201 E. Main St. in Fairborn, was charged in the U.S. Southern District Court of Ohio as a result of a criminal investigation involving federal food stamps.

George J. Daoud, 63, Dayton, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Sharon Ovington Wednesday while the federal charges were read in court, according to Fred Alverson, Law Enforcement Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District.

Those charges include conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods and services and contraband cigarettes and illegally acquiring, possessing and using USDA food stamp benefits. Daoud is also accused of wire fraud and unauthorized use and possession of federal food stamp access devices.

Daoud was arrested Tuesday night by an agent with the United States Department of Agriculture after arriving to the Dayton International Airport on a flight in from Denver, according to Alverson and Montgomery County Jail records. He was released from the county jail, on his own recognizance, sometime Wednesday.

If convicted, Daoud could face up to 20 years in prison. A probable cause hearing is set for 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 14.

Daoud was arrested after federal investigators from the USDA and the Ohio Investigative Unit, accompanied by Fairborn Police, raided his convenience store Tuesday. The raid resulted in the store being cited for violating its liquor permit, according to WHIO-TV.

Julie Hinds, OIU spokeswoman, told WHIO-TV that OIU agents issued administrative citations to the liquor permit owner for allegedly trafficking in food stamps, receiving stolen property and illegal drug paraphernalia sales.

Lama Daoud of McEwen Woods Court in Washington Twp. is the liquor permit holder, according to state’s Commerce Division of Liquor Control. Lama Daoud is listed on the liquor permit as president of Geolam, Inc.

S.O.I. Enterprises #3, Inc. is the name on the vendor’s license for the convenience store, according to the Greene County Auditor’s office.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2414 or kelli.wynn@coxinc.com.

Share this article