A former senior aide to Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey used taxpayer-funded food benefits at stores near Walt Disney World while awaiting trial on cocaine and gun charges, according to a new report.
LaMar Cook receives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and used his electronic benefits transfer card at supermarkets in Kissimmee, Florida, according to records reported by the Boston Herald.
The stores sit near the Walt Disney World Resort, according to the Herald’s description of the records.
However, the records do not show that Cook entered a Disney park, bought a park ticket, paid for a hotel, or took a taxpayer-funded Disney vacation. They show EBT purchases at supermarkets in the surrounding area.
No government agency has publicly accused Cook of obtaining the benefits through fraud or using them for an illegal purchase.
Federal rules do not allow a state to end someone’s SNAP benefits solely because that person faces pending criminal charges, Axios Boston also reported.
The public reports did not include Cook’s current income, household finances, benefit application, or the government’s full eligibility decision.
Cook previously served as deputy director of Healey’s Western Massachusetts office. He earned $115,668 a year before the administration fired him in October 2025.
Authorities arrested Cook after investigators said they intercepted eight kilograms, or about 18 pounds, of cocaine that was headed to the Springfield State Office Building.
Prosecutors also connected the investigation to about 13 kilograms of cocaine previously seized at Hotel UMass in Amherst. Together, the seizures involved about 21 kilograms, or more than 46 pounds, of cocaine, according to WBUR’s report.
Cook faces charges including trafficking more than 200 grams of cocaine, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition. He has pleaded not guilty.
The Governor’s Office called the alleged conduct “a major breach of the public trust” when it announced Cook’s firing.
Cook later received $31,438 for 530 hours of unused vacation time. The state says it paid the money by mistake because officials had fired Cook for cause.
The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit seeking repayment after attempts to reverse the deposits failed, according to WBUR.
Healey gave a short response when a reporter asked about the payment.
“That was ridiculous. We’re working to get that back,” Healey said earlier this year.
Cook’s SNAP eligibility, the state’s effort to recover the vacation payment, and his criminal case are three separate legal matters.
