A Gary grocer accused of running illegal food stamp and flood relief schemes is set to undergo a mental competency evaluation.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew Rodovich granted a request Monday that Mark Prusinski, 52, of Wheatfield, be examined before facing trial on accusations he bought customers' food stamps and flood relief benefit cards at a discount, then redeemed the stamps for full-price government payments, Hammond federal court records state.

Prusinski, owner of Mark's Food Mart in Gary's Black Oak neighborhood, faced another set of charges linked to the alleged food stamp scam before he was arrested in his store last week on the flood relief food stamp charges.

Attorney J. Michael Katz requested the competency evaluation. Katz declined to comment Monday on his reasons for requesting the examination.

Prusinski was in the custody of U.S. marshals Monday. Prusinski will be handed off to the U.S. Department of Justice for the examination, which could take several months, Katz said.

Federal authorities allege Prusinski and his employees told customers they could give Prusinski food stamp cards and that he would pay 65 percent of the stamps' value. He is accused of running the scam since 2004.

He also is accused of running a similar scheme with food stamps recently issued as flood relief.