Wichita ? A Kansas grocery store owner and his wife are asking for leniency as they’re sentenced for their part in a food stamp fraud scheme targeting people at homeless shelters.

Muhammad Qadeer Akram and his wife, Shama Qadeer, own Alnoor Grocery and Biryani House in Wichita. They were accused of trading cash for customers’ food stamps at a profit, and pleaded guilty earlier to conspiracy and fraud.

Their sentencing was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon in federal court in Wichita. Their plea agreements call for the government to recommend punishment at the low end of federal sentencing guidelines.

But in court filings Tuesday, defense attorneys argued those deals were premised on a government proposal that she receive probation and he receive an 11-month prison sentence.