Rikers Guards From Westchester Accused In Sick Leave Fraud Scheme: FBI

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY — Two Westchester residents, engaged to be married, are among three Rikers Island correction officers charged by the feds with fraud for lying to stay on sick leave for over a year.

The two are also accused of forging medical documents.

Two criminal complaints were unsealed Thursday in federal court in Brooklyn charging three correction officers employed by the NYC Department of Correction (DOC) at Rikers Island with federal program fraud. Correction Officers Steven Cange, Monica Coaxum and Eduardo Trinidad were arrested on Thursday.

"As alleged, in the midst of an ongoing staffing crisis at Rikers Island, the defendants defrauded New Yorkers by fraudulently obtaining their full salaries while taking over a year of sick leave," U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said, announcing the arrests. "These correction officers abandoned their oath to protect inmates and put the safety of their fellow correction officers at risk. Today’s arrests demonstrate that this Office remains committed to rooting out corruption at Rikers Island and protecting New Yorkers from public officials who steal their tax dollars."

Federal authorities said that NYC Correction Officer Monica Coaxum, of Harrison, fraudulently obtained more than $80,000 in salary by being on sick leave from March 2021 to May 2022, and that her fiancée, Correction Officer Eduardo Trinidad, of Yonkers, fraudulently obtained more than $140,000 in salary by being on sick leave from June 2021 to November 2022.

Although Coaxum claimed to suffer from multiple injuries, evidence collected by investigators shows that she was able to work, according to prosecutors. During her sick leave, Coaxum submitted nearly 50 fraudulent medical notes to the DOC stating that she had gone to medical appointments at times law enforcement say she was elsewhere. Feds say evidence also shows that on some occasions where Coaxum claimed to be injured and at home, she was traveling and at parties. When approached by law enforcement, Coaxum admitted to forging some medical documents, officials said.

Trinidad likewise obtained more than $140,000 by claiming to be too injured to work for over a year, investigators said. Although he went to medical appointments with the DOC wearing some combination of a sling, cane, and/or boot, photographic and video evidence during the same period showed Trinidad doing normal life activities like home improvement work, bowling and traveling abroad, without any difficulty or help from equipment like a boot, sling or cane, according to court records.

According to their wedding website, Trinidad and Coaxum met in 2020 and are scheduled to get married in July 2023.

While Coaxum claimed that she was too injured to work and delayed surgery, prosecutors contend she abused the DOC "log out" system for personal activities, including traveling to the Dominican Republic, Florida and West Virginia, while claiming she was at medical appointments or at home.

Federal agents said her iCloud account contained photographs and videos showing Coaxum living an active lifestyle despite her claims of being too injured to work. Authorities discovered that while on sick leave, on Dec. 19, 2021, video and photographs show her dancing at a party.

Federal investigators said that on January 23, a video documents a WhatsApp conversation between Coaxum and her family members. At one point in the conversation, one of the family members told Coaxum, "Monica you living your best life but scamming your job." She responded, "Yes at home still getting paid, unlimited sick baby. Get like me! Living my best life." Coaxum then sent a photograph of herself and her fiancé, Trinidad, at a party. A conversation participant responded, "I don’t need to get like you[.] I’m doing it right way…" The participant added in a follow -up message, "It don’t look like you hurt in these pics tho," and later three separate messages, each of which said "Scamming."

"As alleged, the defendants deliberately violated their oath when they participated in an elaborate scheme to defraud our community," FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll said. "The FBI and our partners are committed to disrupting these fraudulent scams and holding the public officials who perpetuate them accountable."

Federal authorities also said NYC Correction Officer Steven Cange, of Brooklyn, fraudulently obtained more than $160,000 in salary by being on sick leave from March 2021 to the present. Although Cange claimed that he suffered from symptoms of vertigo and side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine, evidence obtained by law enforcement demonstrates that Cange was able to work. During his sick leave, Cange submitted more than 100 fraudulent medical notes to the DOC demonstrating that he was at physical therapy or another medical provider when records subpoenaed from those providers demonstrate that Cange was not at those appointments. Law enforcement also observed Cange engaging in normal life activities with no apparent difficulty.

“As charged, these New York City Correction Officers feigned illness and submitted false medical documentation to take sick leave during a staffing crisis, defrauding the City of New York of hundreds of thousands of dollars," DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said. "Today’s arrests hold these Correction Officers accountable for the shameful dereliction of duty alleged in the Complaints. I thank the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their continuing partnership and efforts to bring to justice those whose misconduct jeopardizes the safety and stability of the City’s jails."

If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment.