ST. LOUIS • Ebraheem Maki Naif, 51, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty to one felony count of food stamp fraud in federal court here and agreed to forfeit $30,765 and a vehicle, the U.S. Attorney's office said Tuesday.

Naif admitted conducting illegal food stamp transactions by allowing customers to buy non-food items like cigarettes, cologne and telephone calling cards with food stamps, as well as redeeming food stamps for cash, prosecutors said.

From January 2008 to May 2012, Naif's store, which is known as Abes Gravois Discount and Gravois Discount Smokes, redeemed roughly $1,903,402 in food stamp benefits.

But he reported much lower sales numbers to city officials, prosecutors said. In 2011, when he redeemed $690,198 in food stamps, he reported $80,800 in gross receipts for merchandise worth $25,750.

Prosecutors said Naif admitted causing losses of at least $609,398 in 2011.

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