OC Food Truck Vendor Indicted For Food Stamp Fraud, Now Faces 5 Years In Federal Prison: DOJ

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — The owner of an Orange County-based fruits-and- vegetables food truck has been indicted on food stamp fraud charges, officials announced Thursday.

Esmeralda Soriano, 48, also known as Esmeralda Aguilar and Esmeralda Silva, of Santa Ana, is charged with two counts of illegal trafficking in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.

Law enforcement believes he is the highest-redeeming vendor of public assistance food benefits among nearby fruit-and-vegetable stores and large grocery stores, according to indictment documents. Soriano's arraignment is scheduled for next Thursday in federal court in downtown Los Angeles. She is free on a $5,000 bond.

It was not immediately known if Soriano had retained legal representation.

Soriano Produce is described as "a low-volume fruits-and-vegetables mobile food truck operating in Santa Ana and, in March 2023, was authorized as a SNAP retailer," according to the indictment returned Wednesday.

The business uses a single point-of-sale device to process SNAP transactions and the lack of scanners, coupled with consistent high-dollar transactions and rapid back-to-back sales, have indicated possible fraud, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Law enforcement identified similar SNAP-authorized fruits-and- vegetables businesses between April 2025 and April 2026 within a 20-mile radius of Soriano Produce and determined that her business was the largest SNAP- authorized redeemer with a total store volume of nearly $640,924 -- more than six times its nearest competitor, and an average purchase amount of $151.41, according to the DOJ.

Prosecutors contend that compared to large grocery stores within a five-mile radius during the same period, Soriano Produce was also the highest redeeming store of SNAP benefits, despite having more than 9,700 fewer transactions than the closest store. Further, Soriano Produce had the highest average transaction amount.

According to the DOJ, law enforcement discovered numerous excessively large SNAP transactions at Soriano Produce for a store of its type, with a dozen reaching or exceeding $1,000, far surpassing the California average of $17.72 for a fruits-and-vegetables store.

If convicted as charged, Soriano could face up to five years in federal prison for each count, prosecutors said.