October 27, 2005
DILLON ANNOUNCES:
UNEMPLOYMENT FRAUD SWEEP
Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon and New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Linda Angello announced today the completion of an unemployment fraud sweep, which resulted in the charging of 30 people by the Nassau County District Attorney’s Criminal Frauds Bureau.
According to Dillon, "The defendants stole a combined total of $236,164.75 in funds designed to assist people who are out of work."
"Unemployment fraud is not a victimless crime, said Dillon. "Business owners throughout Nassau County have been paying higher unemployment tax rates because of individuals collecting benefits that they were not entitled to receive. Ultimately this type of criminal activity results in higher costs for all consumers. The defendants charged during this sweep were collecting unemployment benefits while employed at other businesses. All 30 defendants charged as a result of this sweep have been charged with Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a Class D Felony punishable by up to 7 years in prison and Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a Class E Felony, punishable by up to 4 years in prison."
Individuals charged as a result of the unemployment sweep are:
Defendant Name/Age/Address |
Money Collected Fraudulently |
William Albrecht, 22, of 14 Armon Drive, Bethpage |
$3,441 |
Stephen Batule, 38, of 243 Bayside Avenue, Amityville |
$5,467.50 |
Susan Cahn, 48, of 7 John Street, East Rockaway |
$10,494 |
Lisa Carroll, 30, of 13 Clinton Avenue, Inwood |
$4,459 |
Linda Cassidy, 44, of 552 Marion Drive, East Meadow |
$4,230 |
Bernadette Docteroff, 44, of 589 Yale Street, Oceanside |
$5,831 |
Letitia Fail, 39, of 45 Putnam Avenue, Roosevelt |
$6,745 |
Dennis Flanagan, 55, of 29 6th Street, East Hampton |
$4,504.50 |
Ronald Garrett, 50, of 173 Wellington Road, Elmont |
$9,416.25 |
Timothy Gersbeck, 34, of 54 Balsam Lane, Levittown |
$5,487.75 |
Luis Giano, 44, of 658 Sobo Avenue, Franklin Square |
$9,618.75 |
Matthew Gibson, 31, of 115-71 Parkway Drive, Elmont |
$6,679.50 |
Marcia Greer, 45, of 15 Rose Avenue, Apt. 4, Roosevelt |
$9,002.50 |
Donald Halling, 44, of 230 Walker Street, Massapequa Park |
$7,038 |
Sabrina Holden, 35, of 16 W. Pennywood Avenue, Roosevelt |
$11,643.75 |
Sharon Jeffreys, 57, of 600 Fulton Ave., Apt. 22D, Hempstead |
$8,316 |
Carolann Jones, 57, of 216 fulton Street,Apt. 1C, Farmingdale |
$18,630 |
Athena Kirkikas, 41, of 52 Prospect Place, Farmingdale |
$6,270 |
Shirley Mickens, 44, of 1 Donahue Street, Glen Cove |
$5,868 |
Willene Mosby, 41, of 1026 Jerusalem Avenue, Uniondale |
$5,467.50 |
Lisa Otero, 37, of 129 Meacham Avenue, Elmont |
$12,555 |
Robin Pagano, 50, of 21 West Avenue, Hicksville |
$6,400 |
Kenneth Pearson, 46, of 54 Utz Street, Freeport |
$6,075 |
Joseph Remy, 56, of 515 May Street, S. Hempstead |
$8,100 |
Robert Rickenbacker, 37, of 198 New York Avenue, Westbury |
$6,075 |
Quontinett Simmons, 35, of 17 Mount Avenue, Freeport |
$9,940 |
Robert Spina, 56, of 3 Wood Avenue, Albertson |
$14,580 |
Loretta Vann, 39, of 485 front Street, Apt. 321, Hempstead |
$8,606.25 |
Alison Wanzer, 37, of 1 Park Avenue, Babylon |
$7,933.50 |
Kim Welch, 41, of 220 Central Avenue, E6, Lawrence |
$7,290 |
Total |
$236,164.75 |
"I would like to thank the New York State Department of Labor for bringing these crimes to my attention and for their cooperation during the investigation," said Dillon.
New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Linda Angello said, "The Department of Labor is committed to protecting the interests of New York's businesses and workers, and we will aggressively seek out those who engage in fraudulent activity and make sure that they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
"Since our office began working in conjunction with the New York State Department of Labor, approximately five years ago, to investigate and prosecute all frauds of this nature we have made 216 arrests totaling well over $1 MILLION in benefit misuse," Dillon concluded.
The charges are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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