Former Healey aide LaMar Cook arrested on SNAP fraud charge

Former Healey aide LaMar Cook arrested on SNAP fraud charge

LaMar Cook, a former aide to Gov. Maura Healey who faces cocaine trafficking and gun charges, was arrested by federal authorities Wednesday on suspicion of SNAP fraud.

The big picture: Cook's travel to Disney World and other spending raised eyebrows as he received more than $30,000 in accrued vacation pay — which state officials say was paid in error after his firing — and later started receiving SNAP benefits.

Catch up quick: Cook, Healey's former Western Mass. deputy director, is already facing state cocaine and firearm trafficking charges.

  • Prosecutors said authorities intercepted deliveries of nearly 50 pounds of cocaine to a state-owned building in Springfield and a hotel they linked to Cook.
  • He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    • Driving the news: Cook was charged with one count of SNAP fraud and wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley's office said.

  • He has allegedly received $500 a month in SNAP payments since the spring after claiming to have zero income in his application, despite receiving thousands in accrued vacation time and Zelle payments from his mother, authorities said.

    • Zoom in: Cook, who had earned a salary of $130,227 before his firing, had already made headlines over receiving more than $30,000 in vacation pay he said he had accrued over his nine years in state government.

  • Mass. Attorney General Andrea Campbell sued to claw back the vacation pay in January, saying it was "erroneously" paid to Cook after his termination amid criminal charges.
  • Foley's office said the state tried to reverse the direct deposits for vacation pay, but that "it could not do so due to insufficient funds available in the accounts."

    • Follow the money: Authorities say he claimed to have zero income and less than $100 in the bank when he applied for SNAP benefits on April 6, when his bank account showed a balance of more than $8,800.

  • He had allegedly received $12,000 in Zelle payments that summer from his mother, who had won $1 million from a state lottery ticket, authorities say.
  • Cook allegedly spent $1,904 on round-trip flights for eight people to Orlando in July, including his fiancée and his mother.
  • Bank records confirmed news reports that Cook had used his EBT card to pay for groceries while on vacation at Disney World, while paying for meals at restaurants with funds from his bank account, per the affidavit.
  • After the news articles surfaced, he posted on Facebook: "What's being portrayed as some 'welfare golden parachute' is really just a mix of my earned vacation pay, my mom's lottery winnings and a SunBucks EBT card, all being tied together to create a headline."

    • What they're saying: "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," Foley said in a statement.

  • "This is a person who completely abused the public's trust," wrote Jacqueline Manning, a Healey spokesperson, in a statement. "He needs to be held accountable — not spending taxpayer dollars on vacation."
  • Scott Lauer, who is listed as Cook's public defender in the federal case, declined comment.

    • Another wrinkle in his application, per Foley's office: He allegedly claimed to live alone with a minor child but lived with his fiancée, who earned more than $80,000 a year from Springfield Public Schools.

  • Yes, but: Massachusetts only requires applicants to include their spouse and child, if below age 22, on a SNAP application, per the state's website.
  • The state's SNAP rules also call for an applicant to include another household member if they prepare their meals together, per court documents.
  • Todd Bucci, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's special agent who filed the criminal affidavit, wrote that Cook's fiancée's income "should have been disclosed" on the application and would have "affected or disqualified Cook's SNAP benefits eligibility."

    • What we're watching: Cook is expected to appear in Boston federal court on Wednesday.

    Editor's note: This story has been updated to add comments from Gov. Maura Healey's office and details from an affidavit.