LaMar Cook, the former deputy director of Governor Maura Healey’s western Massachusetts office, was arrested Wednesday on a federal criminal complaint charging him with SNAP fraud and wire fraud. Federal prosecutors say he applied for food assistance in April 2026 while out on bail in his state cocaine trafficking case, claiming no income and less than $100 in the bank. Cook, 46, of Springfield, appeared in federal court in Boston on Wednesday afternoon and was released, WCVB reported. But the federal prosecutor told the judge that the state court is expected to revoke his bail as soon as Thursday.
That second point is where Massachusetts law comes in. A new charge, especially a federal felony, changes the bail analysis in the pending state case. Here is what is alleged and how that works.
What federal prosecutors allege
According to the U.S. Attorney’s office announcement, as published by Fall River Reporter, and reporting by WBUR and WCVB:
- Cook applied for SNAP benefits on April 6, 2026, claiming zero income, less than $100 in his bank account, and a two-person household of himself and his minor child.
- Prosecutors say he had at least one bank account holding more than $8,800 on the day he applied, and about $13,000 as of January 2026.
- After he was fired in October 2025, the state paid him $22,374.29 for accrued vacation time. The Commonwealth later said the payment was an error but could not reverse it because of insufficient funds in the accounts. The Attorney General’s office sued in January to recover it, and that case is ongoing, WBUR and WCVB reported.
- He received a $2,497.88 tax refund in May 2026, and his mother, who won about $1 million in the Massachusetts Lottery early in 2026, sent him about $12,000 by Zelle in May and June, prosecutors say.
- Prosecutors say his fiancée, a Springfield Public Schools employee earning more than $80,000 a year, and her mother lived with him but were not disclosed. Retail surveillance and transaction records show the fiancée frequently used his EBT card, according to the announcement.
- He received about $546 a month in SNAP benefits, used at stores in Massachusetts and on a July 2026 trip to Florida.
A public defender listed as Cook’s lawyer declined to comment, WBUR reported. These are allegations in a criminal complaint. Cook has not been indicted on the federal charges and is presumed innocent.
The federal charges and penalties
SNAP fraud. Under 7 U.S.C. § 2024(b)(1), anyone who “knowingly uses, transfers, acquires, alters, or possesses benefits in any manner contrary to” the SNAP law or regulations commits a crime graded by value. Benefits worth $5,000 or more carry up to 20 years. Benefits worth $100 or more, but less than $5,000, are still a felony, with up to five years on a first conviction. Under $100 is a misdemeanor. The U.S. Attorney’s office said the charge here carries up to five years, which corresponds to the middle tier. At about $546 a month, six months of benefits would come to roughly $3,300.
Wire fraud. Under 18 U.S.C. § 1343, it is a crime to devise a scheme “for obtaining money or property by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises” and to use interstate wire communications to carry it out. The maximum is 20 years. The announcement does not say which wire transmission the charge rests on.
Federal sentences are set by a judge using the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and the statutory maximum is rarely the sentence in a case involving a few thousand dollars. The more immediate consequence is in state court.
The state case
Cook was indicted in Hampden Superior Court on charges including trafficking more than 200 grams of cocaine, conspiracy and firearm offenses, after a package was intercepted at the Springfield State Office Building in October 2025. He has pleaded not guilty. He has been out on $25,000 cash bail since March after spending more than four months in custody, as we reported in September. His lawyer has said he will move to suppress evidence, and a defense motions conference was set for November 12.
How bail revocation works: G.L. c. 276, § 58B
We read the statute at malegislature.gov. It applies to a person released after a bail hearing who “has violated a condition of his release.” Two findings are required before a judge orders revocation and detention:
- A violation. Either “probable cause to believe that the person has committed a federal or state crime while on release,” or clear and convincing evidence that the person violated some other condition. A conviction is not required.
- Danger or noncompliance. The judge must also find either that no conditions “will reasonably assure the person will not pose a danger to the safety of any other person or the community,” or that “the person is unlikely to abide by any condition or combination of conditions of release.”
The statute adds a presumption that matters here. “If there is probable cause to believe that, while on release, the person committed a federal felony,” a rebuttable presumption arises that no conditions will assure the person will not pose a danger. Both federal charges against Cook are felonies under their own terms. The presumption can be rebutted, and the judge can instead set new conditions if satisfied that conditions will work and that the defendant will follow them.
The alternative ground is often the more natural fit for a fraud allegation. The question is not only whether the new conduct is dangerous, but whether the person is “unlikely to abide by” conditions. Prosecutors will argue that an alleged false application made while on release answers that question.
What revocation would mean
- The hearing is held immediately at the first appearance unless either side asks for a continuance. A defense continuance is capped at seven days and a Commonwealth continuance at three business days, absent good cause, if the defendant is held in the meantime.
- A person detained under § 58B must be brought to trial as soon as reasonably possible and, absent good cause, may not be held more than 90 days, excluding delays that are excluded under Mass. R. Crim. P. 36(b)(2).
- Revocation is about the state case. The federal court released Cook, but a state detention order would hold him regardless.
For a related example, see our coverage this week of a Hampden County dangerousness hearing and a pending § 58B motion.
The political reaction
U.S. Attorney Leah Foley called the alleged conduct “simply egregious” and said, “I find it disturbing that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts could not prevent this from happening.” Asked about the arrest Wednesday, Healey said, “Good, good. That’s a federal program. Those are federal taxpayer dollars, and I’m glad that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has taken action,” WCVB reported. Healey’s Republican opponent, Mike Minogue, was expected to address the case later in the day. The election is November 3.
Frequently asked questions
What is LaMar Cook charged with now?
A federal criminal complaint charges him with one count of SNAP fraud and wire fraud, alleging he falsely claimed no income and a two-person household when he applied for SNAP on April 6, 2026. He also faces pending state cocaine trafficking, conspiracy and firearm charges in Hampden Superior Court, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
Can a new charge get your bail revoked in Massachusetts?
Yes. Under G.L. c. 276, section 58B, a judge shall revoke release if there is probable cause to believe the person committed a federal or state crime while on release and the judge finds that no conditions will reasonably assure safety, or that the person is unlikely to follow conditions. A conviction is not required.
Does a federal charge matter for state bail?
Yes. Section 58B creates a rebuttable presumption that no conditions will assure safety if there is probable cause that the person committed a federal felony while on release.
What is the penalty for SNAP fraud?
Under 7 U.S.C. section 2024(b)(1), it depends on value: up to 20 years for $5,000 or more; up to five years for $100 to under $5,000; and up to one year for less than $100.
Sources: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announcement, October 14, 2026, as published by Fall River Reporter; WBUR and WCVB, October 14, 2026, including statements by Gov. Maura Healey and the courtroom account as reported. Earlier state case details from our September 2026 coverage. G.L. c. 276, section 58B, read at malegislature.gov; 7 U.S.C. section 2024(b) and 18 U.S.C. section 1343, read in full text. LaMar Cook is presumed innocent of all charges. General information about Massachusetts law, not legal advice.