Massapequa Couple Charged in Medicaid Fraud Sting

A Massapequa couple have been charged in a countywide Medicaid fraud sweep, Nassau County prosecutors said Tuesday.

Mathew Sutphen, 49, and his wife Angela 52, were among ten people arrested in a joint investigation vy the District Attorney's Public Assistance Fraud Unit  and the Nassau County Department of Social Services.

They're accused of stealing more than $1676,000 in Medicaid and other public assistance by under-reporting income and other assets.

According to prosecutors, the couple never disclosed ownership in a second home they had in Suffolk County, or timeshares in Florida.  They also hid the fact that they were owners of Conerstone Bancor Mortgage Company, prosecutors said.

Matthew Sutphen was arrested Thursday, while his wife is currently incarcerated in an upstate prison for possession of a forged instrument. The couple was arrested in 2010 and accused of stealing identities to obtain mortgages in Suffolk County.

They're now charged with grand larceny, welfare fraud and offering a false instrument for filing.  They could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.