The owner of a Severn pizzeria was charged with fraud yesterday for illegally buying food stamps, Anne Arundel County police said.

Michelle Kyong Lee, 31, the owner of J-Jay's Pizza Carryout in the 1100 block of Reece Road, was arrested yesterday by Western District officers and charged with food stamp fraud for allegedly buying the stampsfor less than their face value.

Lee, of the 7800 block of Breakstone Court in Ellicott City, was released on her own recognizance.

The county Police Department's Career Criminal and Narcotics sections launched the investigation along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture after receiving several complaints that food stamps were being sold to the owner of the pizzeria. An undercover detective went to the pizzeria a number of times and was able to sell food stamps, police said.