Federal authorities on Wednesday arrested a former deputy director in Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey’s office on a criminal complaint charging him with SNAP fraud and wire fraud.
Prosecutors claim that Cook, who is free on pretrial release from a pending state indictment for cocaine trafficking and firearm offenses, lied on an April 2026 SNAP application. He allegedly claimed zero income and under $100 in the bank while holding more than $8,800.
However, he was receiving Zelle payments from his mother and hid a fiancée who made over $80,000 per year, according to a Department of Justice press release:
In 2023, the Governor of Massachusetts appointed Cook to serve as the Western MA Deputy Director in Springfield, Mass. 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.
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.
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Cook allegedly used his EBT card during a July 2026 trip to Florida, including stops near Disney World.
U.S. Attorney Leah Foley referred to Cook’s alleged actions as “simply egregious” and said, “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.”
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