Money-wiring company will open books to feds in deal to end Detroit case involving food stamps

US drops charges in money-wiring investigation

DETROIT — A company charged in Detroit with illegally wiring money overseas from food-stamp fraud will pay $25,000 and open its books as investigators try to determine where cash landed and who received it.

A federal judge dismissed criminal charges Thursday against North American Money Transfer, based in Stone Mountain, Ga.

The company was indicted last year in a case of food stamp fraud in Michigan. The government said food stamp recipients used an Ypsilanti store to take cash off their debit-style cards and send it to Somalia, Europe and the Middle East.

The store moved at least $265,000 to a credit union account maintained by North American Money. The company has denied any wrongdoing. Defense lawyer Sam Rosenthal says the agreement is an “appropriate resolution.”