DA: New Hyde Park Woman Among 6 Charged With Welfare Fraud

Pictured: Cindy Sarelis

A New Hyde Park woman is one of six people who were recently charged with stealing thousands of dollars in taxpayer-funded social services, Acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced Thursday.

Cindy Sarelis, 38, collected a total of $39,826 in DSS benefits from April 2011 through August 2013, the DA reported.

Sarelis allegedly failed to notify the DSS that she was receiving Social Security death benefits for each of her three children.

The DA reported Sarelis also submitted letters that were allegedly written and signed by the deceased father of her children, after he was already dead. The letters said the father was paying Sarelis only $100 per month in child support. Sarelis would not have normally received the SSA payments since her household income was above the standard of need for a public assistance household of her size.

Authorities arrested Sarelis on Tuesday and charged her with third degree welfare fraud, third degree grand larceny, second degree criminal possession of a forged instrument and first degree offering a false instrument for filing. She was released and is due back in court on June 17.

Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano warned those who cheat the system: “You will be caught and prosecuted, and the money you’ve stolen will be returned to our taxpayers.”

The others arrested include:

• Yessika Gana, 59, of Port Washington, was arrested Wednesday and was charged with third degree welfare fraud, third degree grand larceny and first degree offering a false instrument for filing.
• Ana Ventura (Rivas), 37, of Roslyn Heights, was arrested Tuesday and was charged with second degree welfare fraud, second degree grand larceny and first degree offering a false instrument for filing.
• Naisha Chinnery, 30, of Jamaica, was arrested Tuesday and charged with third degree welfare fraud, third degree grand larceny, second degree criminal possession of a forged instrument and first degree offering a false instrument for filing.

Singas looks to defend Nassau’s social service system and to protect the taxpayers that fund it.

“For every person defrauding taxpayers by getting benefits they are not entitled to receive, there are many more struggling Nassau residents that play by the rules as they seek to care for themselves and their families,” she said in a statement.

Photo: NCDA

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