February 7, 2007

Contacts:
District Attorney: Eric Phillips, 516.571.2994
County Executive: Joe Calderone, 516.571.4225

DA, DSS Announce Fraud Sweep

Eleven charged in social service fraud probe by District Attorney

MINEOLA, NY - Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced today that her office has arrested eleven men and women for social service fraud after referrals from the Nassau County Department of Social Services and a year-long investigation revealed more than $150,000 in theft from government agencies. The crimes range from welfare fraud to Medicaid fraud to Social Security fraud and the losses to Nassau County are thought to exceed $100,000.

“Public assistance, Medicaid, Social Security: these are all finite resources of critical importance,” said Rice. “When you cheat the system you are not only stealing from the taxpayers, but you’re denying someone in need the ability to provide for themselves and their families.”

“Food stamps, Medicaid, emergency assistance grants and day care vouchers are part of a critical safety net for the county’s neediest residents,” said Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi. “We cannot afford for that safety net to be damaged by those who seek to profit illegally by engaging in fraudulent activities at taxpayer expense.”

Charged Wednesday with Welfare Fraud in the Third Degree and Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree in connection with the alleged theft of $104,783.49 in public assistance benefits are Valerie Nixon, 45, of Port Washington; Michael Jones, 39, of Manhattan; Marvin White, 36, of Roosevelt; Lakia Lee, 21, of Hempstead; Tammie Johnson, 36, of Hempstead; and Linda and Eddy Adrien, 39 and 43, of Elmont. Arthur Holmes, 37, and wife Jada Blair, 29, both of Hempstead, were charged with Offering a False Instrument for Filing and Welfare Fraud in the Fourth Degree.

David Martinez, 55, of Hempstead, was also charged Wednesday with Welfare Fraud in the Third Degree and Filing a False Instrument in the First Degree in connection with an alleged theft of $18,624.76 in Medicaid benefits.

Boysie McAllister, 51, of Hempstead, was charged Wednesday with Welfare Fraud in the Third Degree, Filing a False Instrument in the First Degree and Grand Larceny in the Third Degree for allegedly stealing $19,670.59 in public assistance and Medicaid benefits from the county and $21,650 in Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income benefits from the federal government.

Eight defendants were arrested this morning by detectives from the District Attorney’s Office and will be arraigned later today in First District Court, Hempstead. Arrest warrants were issued this morning for Jada Blair, Michael Jones and Valorie Nixon.

Those defendants facing charges of Welfare Fraud in the Third Degree or Grand Larceny in the Third Degree face a maximum of seven years in prison. Those facing Welfare Fraud in the Fourth Degree face a maximum of four years in prison.

Assistant District Attorneys Christine Burke and Deputy Bureau Chief Michael Clarke, both of the Government and Consumer Frauds Bureau, are handling the cases for the District Attorney’s Office.

District Attorney Kathleen Rice would like to thank the Nassau County Department of Social Services and the United States Social Security Administration for their referrals and their assistance in these investigations.

The County Executive echoed Rice’s appreciation, “I commend the county’s Department of Social Services and the District Attorney’s office for remaining vigilant against waste, abuse and fraud and for pursuing these cases. I hope they will send a message to others who seek to rip off the system.”