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Two Men Charged in $75,000 Red Bull EBT Fraud Scheme
ANOKA COUNTY, MN — Two Romanian nationals are facing felony fraud charges in Anoka County after allegedly using stolen Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards to purchase nearly $75,000 worth of Red Bull energy drinks, which they then resold for profit, according to court documents and law enforcement reports.
Prosecutors say the fraudulent scheme spanned from early July through late September, involving more than 200 separate transactions across the Twin Cities metro area. The stolen EBT card numbers reportedly belonged to over 100 victims from multiple states, including California, Colorado, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.
Scheme Uncovered After Colorado Tip
The investigation began when a woman in Colorado noticed several unauthorized charges on her EBT account and alerted Fridley police. She reported five fraudulent transactions—totaling over $1,800—at a Sam’s Club and Walmart in Fridley. Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the stores, which allegedly showed one of the suspects using her card.
Red Bull as Cash Conversion
According to the criminal complaint, the suspects were engaged in a cash-conversion scheme. One of the defendants reportedly told investigators that he received stolen EBT card data from an unidentified source, used it to buy large quantities of Red Bull and other resalable items, and then sold the energy drinks to local gas station owners for cash. The proceeds, he said, were turned over to the person who supplied the stolen card information.
A search warrant executed at a Minneapolis storage unit linked to the suspects uncovered approximately 1,200 cases of Red Bull, confirming the scale of the operation.
Multi-State Fraud Connection
Authorities say the Minnesota case is connected to a broader EBT fraud investigation in Colorado, involving at least $90,000 in similar transactions. In both states, the suspects were reportedly captured on surveillance footage purchasing large quantities of Red Bull with stolen benefits data.
The men remain in custody. Prosecutors described them as foreign nationals and significant flight risks in the filed charges.
Broader EBT Fraud Concerns
EBT cards, which distribute Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, have increasingly become targets of organized fraud rings using “skimming” devices or stolen data to drain recipients’ accounts. Under federal SNAP guidelines, recipients can legally use EBT benefits to purchase most cold beverages — including energy drinks like Red Bull — provided they carry a Nutrition Facts label rather than a Supplement Facts label.
Federal and state agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), continue to coordinate efforts with law enforcement to detect and combat EBT-related fraud schemes nationwide.
