OCALA, Fla. — A Tavares man could spend more than a decade behind bars after admitting he stole about $73,655 in SNAP food benefits intended for low-income families.
Jose Valles Villamizar, 29, pleaded guilty to theft of government funds and aggravated identity theft after prosecutors linked him to 650 SNAP applications submitted between September 2023 and February 2025 using addresses tied to him, court records show.
He faces up to 10 years for the theft charge, plus a mandatory consecutive two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft, and has agreed to forfeit $73,655.27.
A sentencing date has not been set.
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