Former NYPD Cop From White Plains Charged With Disability Fraud

WHITE PLAINS, NY — A former New York Police Department detective from White Plains is one of three men arrested for fraudulently taking disability benefits. Gerard Scparta, 53, of Campbell Hall, Scott Maraio, 53, of Staten Island, and Kenneth Rubero, 53, of White Plains, were arrested Wednesday for separate schemes to fraudulently obtain a total of more than $1 million in disability benefits from the Social Security Administration.

Geoffrey S. Berman, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the arrests.

“As alleged, these three defendants, all former law enforcement officers, told lie after lie to obtain a total of over $1 million in disability benefits through fraud. In doing so, they allegedly took money from truly disabled individuals who are dependent on this important source of public support. Scparta and Maraio also allegedly concealed their employment and income from the Social Security Administration by hiding behind corporate entities purportedly owned by their wives,” Berman said.

Rubero started working as an NYPD police officer in 1985 and was promoted to detective in 1991. He stopped working in December 1997 at the age of 33 due to a claimed disability and began receiving disability benefits, Berman said.

On multiple forms submitted to the SSA, Rubero falsely claimed he could not work due to problems with his knees, neck and back and failed to report earnings from employment as required.

Berman said Rubero was, since 2008, an owner and manager of Baychestser Payment Center LLC, a check cashing and money services business in the Bronx, and an owner and president of Secure Logistics Inc., a purported security company located at his residence.

From at least 2008 up to and including February 2018, Rubero received a total of about $396,000 in disability benefits for himself and his child.

During the same time period, he had earned a total of about $720,000 from his work with Baychester and Secure Logistics.

Maraio, a former NYPD police officer and former FDNY firefighter, received more than $364,000 in disability benefits, while working at a staffing company and as a security guard at a strip club. He received about $450,000 in income from the two jobs, which was paid to a third-party corporate entity owned by his wife.

Scparta, a former NYPD police officer, was referred to someone who helped him fraudulently obtain disability benefits by falsely claiming Scparta suffered from severe depression and anxiety and could not do anything around his house or work in any capacity.

He received about $638,000 working as a host and security guard at a strip club and failed to report the earnings from employment. The earnings were paid to a third-party corporate entity owned by his wife.

Each of the men was charged with one count of theft of government property, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, one count of making false statements, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and one count of making false statements in connection with Social Security disability benefits, which carries an maximum sentence of five years in prison.

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