og .4 E._ ti -\_. : _.. $1-Iim/~'1.J;'1 , __.STATE OF MAINE 'Department of Public Safety Maine Drug Enforcement Agency 166 State House Station Augusta, Maine 04333-0166 PAUL R. LEPAGEt GOVERNORROY E. MCKINNEY JOHN E. MORRIS DIRECTOR COMMISSIONERV'Testimony of Supervisory Special Agent Matthew Cashman .IN SUPPORT OF LD 607iAn Act to Stop the Abuse of Electronic Bene ts Transfer Cards Senator Brakey, Representative Gattine, Members of the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services.Thank you for the opportunity to appear here today.My name is Matthew Cashman and I have been a Lewiston police officer for 19 years.I am currentlyassignedasataskforceinvestigativesupervisortotheMaineDrug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) supervisingtheinvestigativeactivityof the MDEA s Western District Task Force (DTF) with an area of operation that includes Androscoggin, FranklinandOxfordCounty.Iam heretodaytotestifyon behalf of theMaine Department of Public Safety in Support of LD 607. The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency was established by the Legislature to address the upper and mid-level drug dealers that operate below the interest of the Federal law enforcement authorities that focus on international, interstate and substantial violators, and the street level efforts that focus on the small dealers and those caught in possession. During the past 11 months, a total of 40 State of Maine EBT cards in another s name were seized during 25 separate drug enforcement operations by the MDEA. Since early 2012, the MDEA s Western DTF has seized a number of these cards.Those seizures were a result of contacts with drug offenders and at the scene of drug search warrants, primarily within the Lewiston / Auburn area.From interviews of defendants and others with knowledge of on-going drug activity, MDEA has learned that it is common practice for drug dealers to take custody of a drug user s EBT card either as direct payment or in lieu of immediate payment. In those instances where a dealer takes the card(s) in_payment, the EBT Cardholder will give the dealer their PIN.If in lieu of immediate payment, the dealer will hold on to the drug user s EBT card and once moneyLD 607 Page 2 has been loaded on to the card, the dealer will get payment at that time, in addition to an interestfee. _A few of the incidents where EBT cards were seized include:iIn September 2013, 6 EBT cards were seized from a defendant in a crack cocaine traf cking investigation. 5 of those cards were in the names of known drug users.I have provided the committee with a photo of the evidence seized in that case; A June 2014 heroin trafficking investigation led to the seizure of Fentanyl and the_seizure of an EBT card from the defendant that was in the name of a known drug user; A July 2014 heroin trafficking investigation led to seizure of pre-packaged crack cocaine and heroin as well as an EBT card that was in the name of a known drug user.When questioned, the drug defendant alleged that the cardholder stays at his residencesometimes.The case was tumed over to DHHS investigators; In October 20l4, MDEA received a complaint regarding the selling_of controlled prescription drugs at a Lewiston residence and that the seller was in possession of 20 EBT cards.MDEA s investigation led to the seizure of controlled prescription drugs and 4 EBT cards.The defendant had 4 aliases and the fraud case was turned over to DHHS investigators;_In November 2014, a crack cocaine trafficking investigation led to the seizure of 8+ounces of pre-packaged and bulk crack cocaine, 0.3 ounces of heroin, a handgun, electronic scales and an EBT Card not issued to the defendant.The street value of the drugs was more than $24,000.I have provided the committee with a photo of the evidence seized in that case; and In December 2014, information learned during a crack cocaine trafficking investigation revealed that the incarcerated dealer s EBT card was being used in the state of Alabama and had been used there by another consistently between September 2012 and October 2014. The fraud case was forwarded to DHHS investigators. On behalf of the Department of PublicSafetyand theMaine Drug Enforcement Agency, I thank you for your time and am honored to answer any questions that you may have.'