The 54-year-old Lynnwood man was booked into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of money laundering, trafficking in food stamps and unlawful redemption of food stamps.

Police said the investigation began when a man came to the police department claiming to have been a victim of a theft in which his Quest food stamp card was taken.

The man said another card was left in its place and told police that when he went to use his card, he discovered that it wasn’t his.

The victim checked the transaction history of his card and discovered that nearly $150 had been debited at Pecks Drive Market, police said. The victim told detectives that he knew the market was conducting fraudulent transactions that provided customers 50 cents on the dollar. For example, the customer would receive $50 cash for a card swiped for $100 transaction at the store. During the investigation, undercover officers from both agencies on several occasions successfully completed the same types of transactions, police said.

Further evidence that fraud was occurring was discovered when detectives, using data supplied by the USDA-OIG, found a huge increase in the amount EBT redemptions at the store during 2010, officials said.

In January 2010, EBT transactions at the market totaled just over $4,200. In December of last year that total was over $50,000, records show. The average monthly transaction total at the small market was over $9,200, with the calendar year total in EBT transactions over $306,000.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Everett Police Department tip line at 425-257-8450.