Gibson County Grocery Store Owner Enters Guilty Plea
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A Gibson County businessman has entered a guilty plea to charges that he defrauded the government out of nearly 2.4 million dollars. According to court documents, Larry Boals, who is the former owner of Boals Discount Grocery in Humboldt, entered the plea this week after charges were filed in US District Court in Jackson. During a hearing, federal officials stated that the store would swipe a person‘s EBT card, enter a $100 charge on the card, and give $70 cash to the customer with no eligible items/food being sold. An undercover officer stated that he watched a similar transaction happen where the customer received $140 and the food stamp card was charged just less than $200. Boals is scheduled to be sentenced in November. He is out of jail on his own recognizance. The Secret Service raided Boals Discount Grocery in January 2012. At the time, federal officials would not release any information on the case. They were seen at the business removing items from the store they said could serve as evidence in their investigation.
