Crime & Safety
Long Island Woman Defrauded NYC Out Of $135,000 Death Benefit: DA
Akosua Agyeman is accused of impersonating a cousin, who was entitled to the money, the Brooklyn DA said.
BROOKLYN, NY — An Oceanside woman was indicted on Tuesday for stealing more than $130,000 in death benefits from the New York City Employees' Retirement System, the Kings County District Attorney announced.
Akosua Agyeman, 48 was arraigned on Tuesday before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Jill Konviser.
She was indicted on charges that include: second-degree grand larceny and first-degree identity theft. Agyeman was released without bail and ordered to return to court on June 29.
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As part of the theft, the DA's office alleges, Agyeman impersonated a cousin who was the rightful beneficiary of the benefit following the death of the cousin’s father, a New York City transit worker.
Investigators from the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office and the Department of Investigation determined that she opened a bank account using a fake Delaware driver’s license.
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"This defendant allegedly attempted to defraud New York’s retirement system by impersonating a relative and claiming benefits to which she was not entitled." District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement.
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