24 Orange County Residents Charged in Welfare Fraud Sweep

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Orange County authorities announced Wednesday that 24 people have been arrested in the county's fifth welfare-fraud sweep.

So far, 146 people have been charged with Welfare Fraud as a result of the five enforcement actions. The total dollar amount of the fraud involved in the cases is $1,547,573.49.

“Cracking down on welfare fraud has been a priority since District Attorney Hoovler and I took office,” said County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus. “We will continue to aggressively prosecute anyone that abuses Orange County’s social services. We will not allow anyone to cheat the system and the hardworking taxpayers of Orange County. These types of cases are a priority for us.”

The total that prosecutors allege these 24 people illegally obtained was over $242,000. Arrested were:

• Janine Cassisi $32,700.89
• Nadia Jackson $30,618.00
• Maria Benetiz $27,962.00
• Cherdale Benjamin $20,695
• Lorena Ortiz $14,027.00
• Mallory Berrios $11,558.36
• Belinda Newkirk $8,707.84
• Kristen Torres $8,098.50
• Eric Rodarte $7,897.00
• Shawte Ward $7,263.00
• Dorean Christian $6,594.23
• Mary Beth Buttiglieri $3,891.00
• Bobby Jones, Jr.
• Angel Jones $3,315
• Reggie Smith $3,279.50
• Kelly Ann Sanchez $3,146.66
• Stacey Rayford $2,421.00
• David Lewis $2,036.00
• Chantel Russ $1,128.00
• Angelica Cespedes $2,285.00
• Patricia Richards $5,601.00
• Katrina Thomas $3,190.49
• Alber Cortez $7,080.01
• Kim Simon-Smith $28,777.61

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Here's the DA's full statement:

Goshen, NY – Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler, joined by Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus and Sheriff Carl DuBois, today announced that twenty-four defendants have been charged with Welfare Fraud for illegally obtaining over $242,000 in public assistance benefits administered through the Orange County Department of Social Services.

The enforcement action was the result of the collaborative efforts of the Orange County Department of Social Services Special Investigations Unit (SIU), the Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office.

During the investigation of the cases, Department of Social Services investigators reviewed files of public assistance benefit recipients suspected of fraud, interviewed recipients, and forwarded cases to the District Attorney’s Office for further investigation. Investigators from the District Attorney’s Office and Sheriff’s Office interviewed many of the recipients before arresting them.

This public benefits fraud enforcement action is the fifth one since District Attorney Hoovler and County Executive Neuhaus took office. To date, 146 individuals have been charged with Welfare Fraud as a result of the five public benefits fraud enforcement actions. The total dollar amount of the fraud involved in the cases is $1,547,573.49. To date, the County has been repaid approximately $420,076.76 by criminal defendants who were charged in the enforcement actions.

Since the actions began in June 2014, the Department of Social Services has also collected $189,723.77 from recipients who voluntarily paid back benefits that they received but were not entitled to. Those recipients repaid those funds after being contacted by the Department of Social Services civil investigators, without any additional arrest or prosecutorial action by the Sheriff’s Office or the District Attorney’s Office.

By comparison, in the three years prior to the first enforcement action, the Department of Social Services civil investigators had only collected $48,165.061 from similarly situated recipients.

In 2011, 2012 and 2013 only $12,127.31 was recovered as a result of welfare fraud prosecutions, and only four defendants were charged. Three prosecutions were brought in 2011, one was brought in 2012, and no prosecutions were brought in 2013 against those who defrauded the Orange County Department of Social Services.

“The over one and one half million dollars in public benefits fraud that have been discovered during the course of these enforcement actions demonstrate just how much this type of fraud costs taxpayers,” said District Attorney Hoovler. “Public benefits programs are necessary and are designed to help the truly needy. The close cooperation and collaboration between the Department of Social Services Special Investigations Unit, the Sheriff’s Office and the District Office has not only resulted in the arrest and prosecution of offenders, but in the recouping of over $420,000 in fraudulently obtained benefits, and more importantly has deterred others from cheating the system. The almost four fold increase in civil collections by D.S.S. also proves that these sweeps are an effective and efficient deterrent.”

Defendants arrested in the most recent enforcement action include:

Janine Cassisi $32,700.89

Nadia Jackson $30,618.00

Maria Benetiz $27,962.00

Cherdale Benjamin $20,695

Lorena Ortiz $14,027.00

Mallory Berrios $11,558.36

Belinda Newkirk $8,707.84

Kristen Torres $8,098.50

Eric Rodarte $7,897.00

Shawte Ward $7,263.00

Dorean Christian $6,594.23

Mary Beth Buttiglieri $3,891.00

Bobby Jones, Jr.

Angel Jones $3,315

Reggie Smith $3,279.50

Kelly Ann Sanchez $3,146.66

Stacey Rayford $2,421.00

David Lewis $2,036.00

Chantel Russ $1,128.00

Angelica Cespedes $2,285.00

Patricia Richards $5,601.00

Katrina Thomas $3,190.49

Alber Cortez $7,080.01

Kim Simon-Smith $28,777.61

The maximum sentence for the Class D Felony of Welfare Fraud in the Third Degree is 2 1 / 3 to 7years in prison.

The maximum sentence for the Class E Felony of Welfare Fraud in the Fourth Degree is 1 1 / 3 to

4 years in prison.

“Cracking down on welfare fraud has been a priority since District Attorney Hoovler and I took office,” said County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus. “We will continue to aggressively prosecute anyone that abuses Orange County’s social services. We will not allow anyone to cheat the system and the hardworking taxpayers of Orange County. These types of cases are a priority for us.”

Orange County Sheriff Carl E. DuBois stated “The Orange County Sheriff’s Office continues to partner with the District Attorney and other county agencies in this and other efforts to ensure the proper distribution of benefits to those that are in need, and to arrest those that choose to cheat the system by fraudulent means. The partnership in these investigations is unprecedented and maximizes enforcement efforts put forth”.

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Kerry Kolek, Julie Mohl, and Steven Goldberg.

A criminal charge is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.