SEATTLE — Independent journalist Nick Shirley issued a public correction on Wednesday, acknowledging that his October report inaccurately portrayed a transaction at Lam’s Seafood Asian Market as evidence the store participated in electronic benefit transfer (EBT) fraud.
“On October 9th and October 12th, I published a video on EBT fraud in Seattle. In one part of that video, I recorded a woman who attempted to use an EBT card at Lam’s Seafood. I said she bought a can of Spam and an order of sushi for $120. That was incorrect, as Lam’s has later now clarified that the woman was trying to buy a case of Spam, and that’s why the transaction was for $120,” Shirley said.
He stated he had not uncovered any evidence the Lam’s Seafood itself engaged in EBT fraud or colluded with the woman, and that the original videos had been taken down.
“As a journalist, I make sure and try my best to make sure that everything is 100%. We do our best, but we don’t always get it right. When we don’t, it’s very important that we issue a correction to the public,” Shirely said.
— Nick shirley (@nickshirleyy) November 12, 2026
In early October, Shirley described entering the Chinatown-International District (CID) market with a woman who attempted to use an EBT card. He stated that the register showed a charge of about $120 for what he identified as a single can of Spam and a package of sushi, framing the exorbitant price as alleged fraud to convert food benefits into cash. The transaction did not complete because Shirley intentionally did not input the correct personal identification number for the EBT card.
Shirley worked with a small group of independent/citizen journalists on the October 2026 EBT/SNAP investigation that focused in the Chinatown-International District of Seattle: Discovery Institute’s Jonathan Choe, San Francisco-based street reporter Darren Stallcup, and Grant Denton, founder and Executive Director of the Karma Box Project, a nonprofit combating homelessness.
Lam’s Seafood operations manager Teizi Mersai and later reviews of the footage and receipt indicated the items were a case of luncheon meat plus spring rolls totaling roughly $120, and that the woman, of which English was not her native language, had requested the bulk quantity in Vietnamese.
The store denied any involvement in or knowledge of fraud by its employees, adding that it had lost customers and received harassing calls after Shirley’s video went national garnering millions of views. Lam’s Seafood retained legal counsel to consider a lawsuit against Shirley. Mersai said the market has long reported suspected trafficking activity near its property and cannot refuse EBT sales based solely on suspicion.
In a video posted to X on November 10 by We Heart Seattle, Mersai shared that he is requesting federal assistance to address the homeless crisis near his business.
Lam’s Seafood Asian Market was the pilot recipient of city assistance that shaped Mayor Katie Wilson’s $1.7 million grocery-support initiative. Mayor Wilson described her program as an investment in food access and neighborhood businesses. The $1.7 million effort included market studies in eight neighborhoods, technical assistance for independent grocers and funding for security and facility upgrades. The Office of Economic Development administers the program.
“With support from the City of Seattle, we’re excited to bring Lam’s Seafood Asian Market to Rainier Valley and fill a grocery site that has been vacant for 8 years. As a community-focused independent grocer, our goal has always been to bring high quality, culturally relevant foods to our community and this is the perfect site to do so,” said David Tran, owner of Lam’s Seafood Asian Market, in the city’s original press release. “The City will help fund essential security upgrades to assist us in creating a brighter, more welcoming storefront for our customers and prevent break-ins and vandalism.”
The family-owned market received permitting help and assistance covering the cost of repairs after break-ins. City officials said they were also planning facade and security improvements as the business prepared to open a third location in Rainier Valley, a site that had been vacant for eight years.
The Chinatown-International District is no stranger to alleged EBT fraud. In 2025, Seattle police ran a months-long investigation into an EBT/food-stamp trafficking ring centered on the Chinatown-International District especially around 12th and Jackson, near Lam’s Seafood. Detectives documented traffickers buying EBT cards/PINs from homeless people dealing with addiction, then using the benefits to buy goods often case lots of items like fish sauce or coconut milk for resale. A total of 18 suspects were identified leading to 11 arrests. King County prosecutors eventually charged two people — Ha Son Thach and Lien My Khuu — with multiple counts of unlawful trafficking in food stamps — a Class C felony. Both pleaded not guilty.
Lam’s Seafood Market was repeatedly identified in police reports and court filings as a location where many of those transactions occurred. Investigators noted that many of the traffickers had already been banned from the store, so some used “runners” to go inside with cardholders while others accompanied them. The store and its owners were not accused of wrongdoing or charged.
About 11 years earlier in 2014, Seattle police flagged cashiers at Lam’s Seafood and a nearby market for allegedly helping customers skirt EBT rules — allowing multiple cards on a single large purchase. Owners and management were not criminally charged in that case either.
Author: Mario Lotmore
