Beaumont burger businessman busted for food stamp fraud

After deliberating for nearly an hour, a jury May 25 found the owner of Coleman's Burger Deli guilty of illegally transferring EBT benefits in a scheme that involved buying food stamps from more than 60 people to supply his restaurant.

Counselors concluded their closing arguments around 2 p.m. Tuesday afternoon in the case against Johnny Ray Coleman, 57, and the jury came back with their guilty verdict nearly an hour later. Jurors heard testimony from several residents who sold their food stamps to Coleman for "50 cents on the dollar."

According to evidence presented during the trial, Coleman spent more than $70,000 in ill-gotten gains over two years at Sam's Club alone. Coleman could face 25 to 99 years in prison.

Find the full story in this week's edition of The Examiner Thursday, May 27.