N.Y. Social Services Law 147 – Misuse of food stamps, food stamp program coupons, authorization cards and electronic access devices
§ 147. Misuse of food stamps, food stamp program coupons, authorization cards and electronic access devices. 1. a. Whoever knowingly uses, transfers, acquires, alters, purchases, transports or possesses food stamps, food stamp program coupons, authorization cards or electronic access devices which entitle a person to obtain food stamps, in any manner not authorized by section ninety-five of this chapter shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor except that if the value of the benefit he or she obtained:
Attorney's Note
Under the New York Laws, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class C felony | between 1 and 15 years | up to $15,000 |
| Class D felony | between 1 and 7 years | up to $5,000 |
| Class E felony | between 1 and 4 years | up to $5,000 |
| Class A misdemeanor | up to 364 days | up to $1,000 |
Terms Used In N.Y. Social Services Law 147
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
(i) exceeds one thousand dollars, he or she shall be guilty of a class E felony; or
(ii) exceeds three thousand dollars, he or she shall be guilty of a class D felony; or
(iii) exceeds fifty thousand dollars, he or she shall be guilty of a class C felony.
b. For the purposes of this section, the value of the benefit obtained shall be the cumulative face value of such food stamps, food stamp program coupons, authorization cards or electronic access devices.
2. Any person found to have violated the provisions of subparagraph (i), (ii) or (iii) of paragraph a of subdivision one of this section, who shall possess a license to sell liquor under § 63 of the alcoholic beverage control law or to sell lottery tickets under Article 34 of the tax law, shall have such license or licenses revoked in addition to any other penalty authorized by law. As used herein, the word "person" shall mean any individual, partnership, corporation, or association.