Received a SNAP Investigation Letter in New York City

If a letter arrived from the Human Resources Administration (HRA), the Bureau of Fraud Investigation (BFI), or the Revenue and Enforcement Administration — often with a return address at 375 Pearl Street, New York, NY — you are under investigation for SNAP fraud. The letter is not a notice. It is the start of a case the agency has been building for weeks or months before you ever saw it.

Before you do anything else: do not call the investigator listed on the letter. The interview is the moment the investigation gets stronger, not weaker. Call us instead at 212-233-1233 or email email@goodwindefense.com. The consultation is free and confidential.

What the Letter Means

Before any letter is sent, BFI has typically already pulled:

• Wage records from the New York State Department of Labor and the New Hire Directory
• IRS data showing 1099 and W-2 income
• Bank records subpoenaed from your financial institutions
• EBT transaction history showing where you used your benefits
• Residency information from utility records, tax filings, vehicle registrations, and sometimes social media
• Household composition evidence from leases, mailing addresses, and tax returns

The letter is sent to give you a chance to "explain" — meaning to put your statements on the record alongside the documents they have already collected. Anything you say in the interview becomes evidence in three possible cases: an administrative overpayment claim, an Intentional Program Violation (IPV) hearing, and a criminal prosecution under Penal Law Article 158.

The Most Common Allegations

• Unreported income. Earnings that were not disclosed at application or recertification.
• Unreported household members. A spouse, partner, or adult child whose income would have reduced or eliminated benefits.
• Residency fraud. Claiming New York residency while primarily living elsewhere, or collecting benefits in two states.
• EBT trafficking. Exchanging benefits for cash or ineligible items.
• Resource misrepresentation. Bank accounts, property, or assets that affect eligibility but were not disclosed.

Three Tracks Can Open at Once

1. Overpayment. The agency computes a dollar amount and demands repayment. Collection runs through the Revenue and Enforcement Administration — benefit reductions, tax refund intercepts, and wage garnishment.
2. Intentional Program Violation hearing. A finding of IPV disqualifies you from SNAP for one year (first), two years (second), or permanently (third).
3. Criminal referral. Where the alleged overpayment is large enough, HRA refers the case to the District Attorney. Welfare fraud is charged under PL §§ 158.05 through 158.25, with felony grades starting above $1,000.

What to Do Right Now

• Keep the letter. Note the date you received it, the deadline to respond, and the name of the investigator. Photograph the envelope too.
• Do not call the investigator. Not to "clear it up," not to ask questions, not to reschedule.
• Do not produce documents. Document production should be negotiated through counsel, not handed over in a panic.
• Do not post about it. Social media is subpoenaed in these cases.
• Call a lawyer before the response deadline. A short, professional letter from counsel often slows the investigation enough to evaluate the case.

If you have received a SNAP investigation letter, call us at 212-233-1233 or email email@goodwindefense.com. We will read the letter with you and explain exactly what comes next.