Healey Aide LaMar Cook Charged With Federal Food Stamp Fraud

LaMar Cook, who was fired as Gov. Maura Healey's deputy director for Western Massachusetts, was charged in federal court on October 14, 2026 with food stamp fraud and wire fraud, the Boston Herald reported. A judge found probable cause and released him on personal recognizance, and he was given a court-appointed lawyer.

Healey, asked about the case at the State House, said she welcomed the prosecution and pointed to Washington, saying Cook qualified for the benefits under federal rules. "This is a federal program," she said. While the U.S. Department of Agriculture funds SNAP, the state Department of Transitional Assistance runs it in Massachusetts.

U.S. Attorney Leah Foley, speaking on the Howie Carr Show, said the state agency alone can see recipients' names and where their cards are used, and faulted it for not reviewing Cook's account after a Herald report in July that he spent benefits at Walt Disney World Resort in Kissimmee, Fla. An affidavit put his monthly benefit at $546.

Cook earned $113,400 in the Healey administration before his October 2025 arrest, when State Police said they intercepted a package holding about 18 pounds of cocaine sent to his office. Healey's Republican opponent in the November 2026 election, Mike Minogue, said the case shows a lack of accountability by the governor.

This story was first reported by Boston Herald.