Posted on April 12, 2012

Heroin Dealer Allegedly Posts Bail with His EBT Card

Becket Adams, The Blaze, April 11, 2012

Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards (the debit card equivalent of food stamps) have been at the center of a heated national discussion on welfare reform. There have been numerous reports of EBT card abuse and some states have started cracking down on card holders. Of course, whenever someone talks about welfare reform, one side of the political spectrum claims it’s “racially motivated.”

However, even those claims might be put aside for a moment in Massachusetts after a heroin [dealer] allegedly posted bail with his EBT card.

“A convicted drug dealer…is the new face of welfare abuse, according to tough-minded lawmakers who are pushing…for a crackdown,” John Zaremba and Chris Cassidy of the Boston Herald write.

Kimball Clark, 45, was arrested on Friday on drug related charges — again. Yeah, he’s a multiple offender.

While making his one phone call, police overheard him say: “get my EBT card and go to the ATM and get the money to bail me out, get me outa’ here tonight.”

Obviously, the thought of convicted felon using his taxpayer-funded EBT to post bail isn’t sitting well with a lot of people.

“It’s another outrage,” said Rep. Shaunna O’Connell (R-MA), who criticizes the state for failing to push tough restrictions on the cards.

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Kimball Clark