Crime & Safety
Former Social Service Worker From Glastonbury Charged With EBT Card Theft
Officials said he allegedly issued himself the debit cards in clients' names.
GLASTONBURY, CT - A former state Department of Social Services employee was arrested Wednesday and charged with issuing himself debit cards in the names of agency clients and then using the cards to steal nearly $5,000 in public assistance benefits, the state division of criminal justice said.
Reinaldo Ruiz, 45, of 1181 New London Turnpike, Glastonbury, was arrested by inspectors from the Statewide Prosecution Bureau in the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney and charged with one count of first-degree larceny, four counts of second-degree larceny and five counts of third-degree identity theft, according to a news release.
The investigation is the result of a complaint filed in February 2014 by the DSS, where Ruiz was employed at the Middletown regional office, from October 2010 through October 2013 as an eligibility services worker, according to a news release.
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According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Ruiz used the identities of five DSS clients to issue electronic benefit transfer cards, or EBT cards, which he then used to withdraw more than $4,901 in benefits.
The cards, which function like a debit card, are used to access benefits under various assistance programs administered by DSS.
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None of the DSS clients in whose names the cards were issued was aware that their identity had been used or that the cards were created in their names, the warrant states.
Ruiz was released on a written promise to appear in Hartford Superior Court on April 18, according to a news release.
Larceny in the first degree is a class B felony punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $15,000. Larceny in the second degree is a class C felony punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $10,000 on each count. Identity theft in the third degree is a class D felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine on each count.
The case is being prosecuted by the Statewide Prosecution Bureau of the Chief State’s Attorney’s Office.
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