Former Massachusetts state official Lamar Cook has been arrested for fraudulently obtaining Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, receiving over $500 per month, while on court-ordered pretrial release in connection with a pending state indictment for alleged cocaine trafficking and firearm offenses.
Lamar Cook, 46, of Springfield, Mass., was arrested today on a criminal complaint charging him with one count of SNAP fraud and wire fraud. Cook will appear in federal court in Boston later today.
In 2023, the governor of Massachusetts appointed Cook to serve as the Western MA Deputy Director in Springfield, MA Cook was terminated in October 2025 after he was detained at the Springfield State Office building and later charged by the Hampden District Attorney’s Office for alleged drug and firearm offenses. According to court documents, Cook earned a yearly salary of $130,227 and was later paid $22,374.29 in net pay for accrued vacation leave following his termination. The Commonwealth later “realized an error in paying Mr. Cook for accrued vacation leave time, the Commonwealth attempted to reverse the direct deposits, but it could not do so due to insufficient funds available in the accounts.”
According to court filings in the federal criminal case, Cook’s bank account continued to hold balances of approximately $13,000 as of January 2026 and over $8,800 in April 2026.
Cook also allegedly received a federal and state tax refund in May 2026 from his employment with the Governor’s Office for the 2025 calendar year in the amount of $2,497.88.
Additionally, according to court documents, Cook’s mother won approximately $1 million in the Massachusetts Lottery in early 2026. Cook’s mother allegedly made numerous Zelle payments to him totaling approximately $12,000 between May and June 2026.
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“It is an unconscionable betrayal of the public trust for a former state official with a pending indictment for drug and gun offenses to then also steal SNAP benefits from the American taxpayer – food assistance benefits intended for low-income Americans,” said U.S. Department of Agriculture Inspector General John Walk. “This former state employee lied about his income and family situation to cheat the program. He will now face justice.”
According to the charging documents, Cook applied for SNAP benefits on April 6, 2026 and falsely claimed zero income, less than $100 in his bank account, and to be living in a two person household consisting only of himself and his minor child.
According to the affidavit, Cook in fact maintained at least one bank account that held more than $8,800 on the date of his SNAP application and received thousands of dollars in additional deposits, including the payments from his mother. It is further alleged that Cook failed to disclose that his fiancée and her mother lived with him at his Springfield residence and his fiancée earned income exceeding $80,000 annually from the City of Springfield Public Schools.
“The alleged conduct is simply egregious. SNAP benefits are intended to put food on the table for struggling families who cannot make ends meet, not for those who allegedly hide income to circumvent the financial requirements, much less travel to Disney World. Mr. Cook allegedly lied about his income and the makeup of his household in order to receive over $540 per month in SNAP benefits. All this occurred while Cook was on pretrial release for charged state drug and firearm offenses,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley. “What kind of system allows for someone like this defendant to receive taxpayer funded benefits? I find it disturbing that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts could not prevent this from happening, nor could it recover the ill-gained $22,000 payment for earned vacation time -- which was also paid out with taxpayer money.”
Cook received approximately $546 per month in SNAP benefits. Cook’s SNAP benefits were allegedly used regularly at grocery and retail stores in Massachusetts and on a July 2026 trip to Florida. Retail surveillance and transaction records show Cook’s fiancée frequently used his EBT card to make purchases for the household, despite not being listed as a member of his household on Cook’s SNAP application.
“Fraud against public benefit programs is ultimately a theft from taxpayers and from the beneficiaries these programs are intended to serve,” said Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG remains committed to protecting the integrity of taxpayer-funded programs and ensuring that those who seek to exploit them for personal gain are held accountable.”
According to court documents, at the time Cook submitted his application for SNAP benefits, he was on release for a pending Hampden County Superior Court indictment charging him with trafficking more than 200 grams of cocaine, conspiracy and firearm offenses stemming from an October 2025 investigation.
The charge of SNAP fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley; USDA IG Walk; and HHS IG Coviello made the announcement. Valuable assistance Massachusetts State Police, Hampden County District Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations in New England and the Springfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts. Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected benefit fraud in Massachusetts by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621).
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
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