Nassau reports $250,000 in welfare fraud uncovered; $15 million in total cost savings achieved for 2011
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MINEOLA – The Department of Social Services Office of Investigations uncovered an additional $250,000 in welfare fraud, for a total of $15 million in cost savings in 2011.
“Medicaid fraud is a crime against every taxpayer. In Nassau County, we are doing everything in our power to root out, deny and prosecute individuals who are not entitled to benefits or who receive benefits through criminal behavior,” said Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano.
Among the most recent cases referred for criminal prosecution to the District Attorney’s office include the following:
■An Elmont woman fraudulently obtained $66,896 in Medicaid, cash Public Assistance and Food Stamps when she lied to DSS and reported on her application that she was a single mother living alone with her 2 children. Acting on an anonymous tip, the Office of Investigations discovered that the woman in fact lived with the father of her two children in a home that he purchased in 2007 for $335,000 and that she shared in his substantial income
■Another supervisor in the DSS Medicaid Unit noticed that a Valley Stream couple had grossly under-reported their income and reported it to the Office of Investigations for further review. An investigation revealed that the couple purchased their home in 2007 for $594,000, a 2008 GMC truck for $38,590, a 2011 Nissan Altima for $19,000 and earned more than $250,000 over a five-year period resulting in $38,881 in illegally obtained Medicaid benefits
■An Oceanside couple who own a dry-cleaning business failed to report their true income when they applied for Medicaid in 2004. As a result of their fraudulent actions, $78,606 in illegally obtained benefits was paid to the couple over an eight- year period.
“Whenever experienced staff at Social Services suspect fraud they immediately forward the information to our Office of Investigations,” said DSS Commissioner Dr. John Imhof. “Our staff works diligently to provide benefits to the truly needy and eligible residents of Nassau County. It is outrageous that individuals continue to try to cheat the system, and those who do will be caught, indicted and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
To report questionable practices in programs such as Medicaid, Day Care, Food Stamps, Public Assistance and Family Health Plus, call 1-877-711-TIPS (8477). All calls are completely confidential and callers can remain anonymous.
