BALTIMORE — A small business owner is going after the USDA.
Altimont Wilks says he and his business are being punished because of his past criminal record.
Wilks was arrested for selling drugs across state lines.
He got out of jail in 2018 and decided to turn his life around, eventually graduating from a program that helps formerly incarcerated people get job training.
He saved up some money and opened Carmen's Corner Store in Hagerstown.
In 2019, he applied to accept SNAP benefits as a form of payment in his store.
The USDA rejected his application saying "Any prior alcohol, drug, tobacco, or firearm offense lacks the 'business integrity' to accept SNAP as a payment."
On Tuesday Wilks and his legal team spoke out about the harm this decision is having not just on Carmen's Corner Store, but also the community.
"When we filed to become an authorized SNAP and EBT retailer, we were rejected and it really hurt. It not only hurt me, but it hurt our community. During the pandemic we really saw how these policies can not only hurt a small business owner, but how it can hurt an entire generation, an entire community, an entire nation," Wilks said.
Wilks and his legal team say roughly 20% of the people who live in the area near Carmen's Corner Store rely on SNAP benefits to buy food.
They say the decision to deny their application means people in need will be even more limited when it comes to finding food.
