SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — A former Suffolk County Department of Social Services examiner was arrested after he stole more than $78,000 in benefits meant to help families struggling with food insecurity, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.
According to Tierney, Kevin Eduardo Hernandez Meza, 23, of Port Jefferson Station, was arrested and arraigned on charges of second-degree grand larceny after reportedly opening fraudulent Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, cases during his employment at the Suffolk County Department of Social Services.
He is accused of issuing unauthorized benefits for which no applications were submitted and no requests for benefits were made, Tierney said.
According to the investigation, between September 9, 2025, and September 5, 2026, Hernandez Meza was working as a Social Services examiner, responsible for reviewing existing SNAP cases to determine whether recipients remained eligible for benefits, the DA said.
An internal audit of his activities was initiated after a case created by Hernandez Meza was flagged as suspicious, Tierney said.
The audit found that he opened seven SNAP cases for recipients who neither applied for benefits nor requested public assistance, the DA said.
He then reportedly issued both ongoing monthly payments to these seven recipients as well as unauthorized additional payments totaling $78,904, Tierney said.
The investigation into the full extent of Hernandez's conduct is ongoing, the DA added.
On Tuesday, Hernandez Meza was arrested by detectives from the District Attorney's Office; on Wednesday, he was arraigned before Riverhead Town Justice Lori Hulse in Riverhead Town Justice Court on the charge of one count of second-degree grand larceny, a class C felony, Tierney said.
The offense is considered non-bail eligible under current New York State law, meaning prosecutors cannot ask for, and judges cannot set, bail; Hernandez was released on his own recognizance, the DA said.
He is due back in court on October 20, and faces five to 15 years if convicted, Tierney said.
He is represented by the Legal Aid Society.
"This defendant was entrusted with protecting the integrity of our public assistance system," said Tierney. "Instead, he allegedly abused that trust by creating fraudulent SNAP cases and directing tens of thousands of dollars in unauthorized benefits. Thank you to County Executive Ed Romaine's office for referring this case to us. It is important that when government officials uncover potential cases of graft, they report it."
"The actions of a few will not undermine aid for those in need or tarnish our dedicated DSS staff," said Suffolk County Executive Ed Romine. "I thank our investigators and DA Ray Tierney for protecting taxpayers and program integrity."
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