A Birmingham man was sentenced Tuesday to more than three years in prison for redeeming $4.6 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits illegally.

U.S. District Judge Karon Bowdre sentenced Omar Motley, 42, to 46 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $847,001 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service, and $4.75 million to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Motley was the manager of the Big B Food Mart, on 24th Street North in Birmingham. Prosecutors said Motley redeemed SNAP EBT benefits for cash and ineligible items, from November 2014 through March 2017, totaling $4.6 million. He also did not report the income to the IRS, prosecutors said.

During this time, according to authorities, SNAP benefits redeemed at the store were 52 times greater than at similarly sized stores in the area.

Salina Walker, acting special agent-in-charge with the USDA-Office of Inspector General, said the case should “send a strong zero-tolerance message” to those defrauding the SNAP program.

“It should also serve as a warning to all stores that participate in the SNAP program as vendors that fraud and trafficking (purchasing those benefits for cash) will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted,” Walker said.