BOSTON — Two Massachusetts men are facing federal charges after prosecutors say two tiny Boston convenience stores churned millions of dollars in SNAP benefits while allegedly selling donated food intended to feed hungry children overseas.

Federal authorities announced that Antonio Bonheur, 74, of Mattapan, and Saul Alisme, 21, of Hyde Park, were each charged with one count of food stamp fraud following an investigation into their stores, Jesula Variety Store and Saul Mache Mixe Store, both located in the Mattapan neighborhood.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the two stores operated out of single street-facing storefronts measuring just 150 square feet and 500 square feet, yet allegedly posted monthly SNAP redemptions ranging from $100,000 to as much as $500,000, dwarfing even nearby full-service supermarkets.

Prosecutors say one supermarket in the same area redeems approximately $82,000 per month in SNAP benefits.

Investigators allege transaction data revealed patterns inconsistent with legitimate small-store food sales. More than 70% of SNAP transactions allegedly exceeded $95, while only about 10% were under $40, a spending distribution typically seen at large grocery stores.

During undercover operations conducted over the course of the investigation, federal agents allege SNAP benefits were illegally exchanged for cash on six occasions, with the defendants themselves allegedly working the registers and personally completing the transactions. Both stores were also allegedly observed accepting SNAP benefits in exchange for liquor, a violation of program rules.

Prosecutors further allege the stores sold MannaPack meals, a donated food product manufactured by the nonprofit Feed My Starving Children. The meals are funded entirely by charitable donations and are intended for distribution to food-insecure children overseas, not for retail sale. According to charging documents, the meals were allegedly sold for approximately $8 per package.

Investigators allege the two stores carried little legitimate food inventory and generated minimal lawful revenue, relying almost entirely on USDA-funded SNAP redemptions to stay afloat.

To conceal the source of the funds, prosecutors say the defendants used multiple secondary bank accounts, moving SNAP proceeds through transfers, cash withdrawals, and redeposits to make the activity appear legitimate while obscuring the true source of the money.

Both men were arrested and are scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston at 3:15 p.m. today.

Each charge carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000, with sentencing determined by a federal judge.

The allegations detailed in the charging documents are accusations only. Both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.