SNAP Retailer Representation
As a Georgia SNAP violation attorney, I've seen firsthand how allegations from the USDA can threaten the livelihood of small food store businesses. At Metropolitan Law Group, we specialize in defending retail stores against trafficking SNAP benefits charges, and our recent victory in a high-stakes case demonstrates our expertise. This win not only reversed a permanent disqualification but also highlighted flaws in the government's process, offering hope to other Georgia grocery store owners facing similar issues.
Understanding SNAP and Trafficking Violations
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, helps millions of low-income families access nutritious food. Retailers in Georgia must follow strict rules to participate, including not exchanging benefits for cash or ineligible items. This is called "trafficking SNAP benefits," and is the most serious SNAP violation offense.
As a Georgia SNAP violation attorney, I often explain that trafficking—defined as swapping SNAP benefits for cash or non-food items—can lead to severe penalties, including permanent bans from the program.
In Georgia, where thousands of stores rely on SNAP transactions, violations can stem from employee mistakes or misunderstandings. The USDA investigates these claims rigorously, but their evidence isn't always solid. That's where a skilled Georgia SNAP violation attorney comes in, challenging weak cases and protecting your business.
The USDA's Investigation and Permanent Disqualification
The allegations stemmed from an investigation conducted by the Office of Inspector General in October and November 2021. During the investigation, the undercover investigator claimed to use his electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards to convince the clerks to give him cash back.
However, the Charge Letter's allegations lacked details like employee descriptions, timestamps, affidavits, or videos. The USDA even refused to provide the EBT purchase receipt the investigator claimed to have.
This vagueness made it hard for the retailer to respond effectively. In theory, SNAP regulation 7 CFR 278.6(b) requires that a retailer be afforded a "full opportunity" to rebut the Agency's evidence. Without the information, we had to work on assumptions.
In July 2025, the USDA decided to implement the permanent disqualification, citing trafficking under 7 CFR 278.6. They also denied a civil money penalty (CMP) request, claiming it was untimely. This is common with the USDA - less than a handful of stores receive civil money penalties in lieu of permanent disqualification. However, our team of experienced Georgia SNAP violation attorneys spotted multiple errors in this ruling.
Filing the Appeal: Key Arguments from a Georgia SNAP Violation Attorney
In response to the Agency's disqualification, we filed a comprehensive 17-page brief on July 31, 2025, seeking reversal of the Section Chief's decision. Our hope was that the administrative review officer would evaluate the regulations and the facts to see that the case was weak.
To make this point, our appeal highlighted several issues significant issues. First, we argued a 7th Amendment violation, as the USDA imposed punishment upon allegations of fraud without a jury trial or discovery.
Second, we contested the CMP denial. Our client had complied with the training requirements in 7 CFR 278.9(i) and should have been eligible for the CMP in lieu of permanent disqualification. Our request was made timely on April 21, 2025, but the USDA errantly claimed otherwise. This error was plain on the face of the initial disqualification decision, but needed to be brought to the review officer's attention.
Third, we pointed out that the allegations were entirely to sparse to warrant a disqualification. Our library of past cases and wins allowed us to cite to specific cases similar to this one where the USDA reversed disqualifications. Using our case law records, we succeeded in demonstrating the arbitrariness of the disqualification.
Challenging the Evidence: the Burden of Proof
The USDA bears the initial burden of proof in a SNAP violation case. Therefore, if their evidence is too weak, the case should be thrown out. That was the case here, where all the retailer received was a two-sentence allegation and no evidence.
Accordingly, our core argument focused on the insufficient evidence angle of the matter. The USDA's claims were bare assertions without supporting documents. Though administrative cases are often done without evidentiary rules, they do need some records or verifiable evidence to take action.
In particular, the hearsay statements couldn't meet the preponderance standard without affidavits or corroboration. Because they were insufficient, the charges against my client were unreliable. We also argued the delay—which was well over three years—suggested both weak evidence (unfit for criminal action) and uncertainty as to the actual guilt of our client.
Invoking recent Supreme Court rulings like Loper Bright, and our prior case law in our proprietary library, we attacked the USDA's case as creating burdens not in the statute. In these food stamps cases, a retailer who accepted SNAP EBT payments for eligible foods, should not have to bear the burden of proof. However, in our experiences as SNAP violation lawyers, this happens far too often in cases with poor or no representation.
Why Choose Metropolitan Law Group as Your Georgia SNAP Violation Attorney?
At Metropolitan Law Group, our attorneys bring more than a decade of experience in USDA SNAP violation cases. We've handled thousands of SNAP cases for retailers, securing reversals and CMPs. Our professional yet approachable style makes the process easy for our clients, and tough for the USDA.
We understand Georgia's unique retail food store landscape, and are proud to represent stores from urban markets to rural communities. Our strategies draw on federal regulations, case law, and recent court decisions, but are successful because of the details of our client's unique stores. Our clients appreciate our thorough briefs and persistent advocacy, and we pride ourselves on saving their stores.
If you're a retailer facing a USDA disqualification Charge Letter, don't go it alone. Metropolitan Law Group's Georgia SNAP violation attorney can review your charge letter, gather evidence, and build a strong defense. We offer initial consultations to assess your situation quickly.
EXPERT SNAP VIOLATION ATTORNEYS
The Most Wins in the Nation
Metropolitan Law Group features the most SNAP retailer success stories of any firm in the nation. For more than a decade, SNAP retailers have trusted our firm to protect their interests. No other firm has as many wins in SNAP trafficking, ineligible items, and authorization withdrawals than we do.
Best Pricing in the Industry
Our firm features fixed-fee pricing for our SNAP Violation Attorneys' representation to avoid large costs to our clients. A recent survey of other firms specializing in EBT licensing found that our prices were consistently lower than all of the other firms, and featured higher quality representation.
Industry Leading Legal Strategy
Since 2012, our attorneys have pioneered the best and most successful SNAP violation strategies in the nation. Our novel approaches to SNAP trafficking defense, ineligible item sales defense, and SNAP license application denials have resulted in hundreds of success stories for clients who otherwise would have lost their licenses.
Nationwide Representation
Our SNAP Violation attorneys represent retail food stores in all 50 states. We handle administrative cases, as well as Administrative Reviews, Judicial Reviews, and appeals. Our attorneys have appeared in matters before U.S. District Courts, U.S. Circuit Courts, and the United States Supreme Court. No case is too big or too small. Get your expert representation today.
