ERIE — Convenience store owners are suing the United States of America, citing alleged breach of duty.
Triangle Mart Inc., d/b/a Triangle Marh, and Neeraja Yariagadda and Mathilda Singh filed a complaint on Oct. 10 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania against the United States of America, alleging the United States of America improperly and impermissibly suspended the plaintiffs from participation in SNAP for six months.
According to the complaint, on Feb. 2, plaintiffs were issued by defendant through the Food and Nutrition Service a Charging Letter wherein they were determined to be charging the U.S. Department of Agriculture for ineligible items, which resulted in a six-month suspension of their SNAP license.
Plaintiff claims it denied and defended against the Charging Letter as defendant allegedly lacked substantial evidence to suspend their license.
The plaintiffs holds the United States of America responsible because the defendant allegedly lacked substantial evidence to indicate the alleged violations arose to the level of carelessness and/or poor supervision on the part of the plaintiffs, which would indicate a failure at the managerial level to supervise employees as required under the applicable regulations to support a six-month disqualification.
The plaintiffs request a trial by jury and seek judgment reversing the defendant's decision not to issue a hardship civil money penalty, as well as award of attorney's fees and costs incurred.
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania Case No. is 2:18-cv-01334-RCM.