For Immediate Release
February 11, 2021

The Sullivan County Welfare Fraud Task Force has arrested:

• October 31, 2020 – Richard C. Hodgson 62 of Rock Hill was arrested and charged with the Class A Misdemeanor of Misuse of Food Stamps. It is alleged that Hodgson stole $964.00 in SNAP benefits by failing to disclose that he was receiving income from employment. Hodgson was released on an appearance ticket to appear in the Town of Liberty Court at a later date.

• November 5, 2020 – Terry L. Kirkland 55 of Baldwinsville was arrested and charged with the Class D Felony of Welfare Fraud in the Third Degree and Class E Felony of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree. It is alleged that Kirkland stole $5,351.00 in SNAP benefits by failing to disclose that both her husband and Daughter were receiving income from employment. Kirkland was released on an appearance ticket to appear in the Town of Liberty Court at a later date.

• December 15, 2020 – Ollen E. Eck 35 of Roscoe was arrested on an outstanding Parole Violation Warrant issued for violating the conditions of his Parole. Eck was remanded to the Sullivan County Jail pending a Parole Hearing.

• December 21, 2020 – Kayla M. Schrader 29 of Liberty was arrested and charged with Petit Larceny after it was discovered that Schrader was wanted for an allegation of shoplifting from Walmart. Schrader was released on an appearance ticket to appear in the Town of Thompson Court at a later date.

• December 30, 2020 – Nelse A. Batista 32 of Loch Sheldrake was arrested and charged with being a Fugitive from Justice after it was discovered that Batista was wanted by Passaic County Sheriff’s Office in New Jersey for Controlled Dangerous Substances in the 3rd Degree. Batista was arraigned in the Town of Thompson Court and remanded to Sullivan County Jail pending extradition.

• January 16, 2020 – Lioner Sanabria Jr. 33 of Livingston Manor was arrested and charged with the Class E Felony of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the 4th Degree and Class A Misdemeanor of Petit Larceny. It is alleged that Sanabria stole a debit card and used it to make purchases. Sanabria was arraigned in the Town of Rockland Court and released without bail.

• February 10, 2021- A joint investigation with members of the New York State Department of Financial Services Frauds Bureau and Sullivan County welfare Fraud Task Force has resulted in the arrest of Maria I. Cruz 34 of Monticello. Cruz was arrested and charged with the Class D Felony of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree and Class E Felony of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree. It is alleged that Cruz stole $9320.00 in Unemployment Insurance Benefits by filing a fraudulent application for unemployment benefits with the New York State Department of Labor. Cruz claimed that she was unemployed when in fact she was receiving pay from her job at the Sullivan County Adult Care Center. Cruz was arraigned in the Village of Monticello Court and released without bail.

• February 10, 2021 – A joint investigation with members of the New York State Department of Financial Services Frauds Bureau and Sullivan County Welfare Fraud Task Force has resulted in the arrest of Latoya L. Snowden-Whitley 36 of Monticello. Snowden-Whitley was arrested and charged with the Class D Felony of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree and Class E Felony of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree. It is alleged that Snowden-Whitley stole $26,486.00 in Unemployment Insurance Benefits by filing a fraudulent application for unemployment benefits with the New York State Department of Labor. Snowden-Whitley claimed that she was unemployed when in fact she was receiving pay from her job at the Sullivan County adult Care Center. Snowden-Whitley was arraigned in the Village of Monticello Court and released without bail.

For Immediate Release
April 5, 2021

The Sullivan County Welfare Fraud Task Force has arrested:

March 12th 2021 – Bridget K. Sattler 34 of Monticello was arrested and charged with the Class E Felony of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree and Theft of Services a Class A Misdemeanor. It is alleged that Sattler stole $ 816.52 by taking Medicaid Transportation for non-medical reasons and then filing fraudulent vouchers for the trips. Sattler was released on an appearance ticket to appear in the Town of Liberty Court at a later date.

March 16th 2021 – Melanie I Powell 41 of White Sulphur Springs was arrested and charged with the Class E Felony of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree and Theft of Services a Class A Misdemeanor. It is alleged that Powell stole $ 985.98 by taking Medicaid Transportation for non-medical reasons and then filing fraudulent vouchers for the trips. Powell was released on an appearance ticket to appear in the Town of Liberty Court at a later date.

March 24th 2021 – Joshua T. Lessard 37 of Monticello was arrested on an outstanding Parole Violation Warrant issued for violating the conditions of his Parole. Lessard was remanded to the Sullivan County Jail pending a Parole Hearing.

March 31st 2021 – A joint investigation with members of the New York State Department of Financial Services Frauds Bureau and Sullivan County welfare Fraud Task Force has resulted in the arrest of Sullivan County Jail inmate Roy L. Elliot 54 of Monticello and Bertha L. Greene 56 of Liberty. Both Elliot and Greene were arrested and charged with the Class C Felony of Forgery in the First Degree, the Class E Felony of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, the Class E Felony of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, the Class E Felony of Welfare Fraud in the Fourth Degree, the Class E Felony of Misuse of Food Stamps in the Fourth Degree and the Class A Misdemeanor of Conspiracy in the Fifth Degree. Elliot and Greene allegedly conspired to and did forge a SNAP re-certification and continued to collect benefits in Elliot’s name in the amount of $1,950.00 even though Elliot was incarcerated and ineligible for benefits. Both were arraigned in the Town of Liberty Court, Elliot was returned to the Sullivan County Jail and Greene was released on her own recognizance. Both Elliot and Greene are scheduled to return to the Town of Liberty Court at a later date.

CHEMUNG COUNTY, N.Y. (WETM) – David Kingdon-Wolfe was arrested by the Elmira Police Department after a welfare fraud investigation.

Kingdon-Wolfe allegedly failed to report his income in the form of NYS Department of Labor unemployment benefits with the Department of Social Services and received $2,265.00 in Temporary Assistance benefits that he was not eligible to receive.

David Kingdon-Wolfe was subsequently charged with Welfare Fraud 4th, Grand Larceny 4th, and Offering a False Instrument for Filing 1st which are class E felonies.

The investigation was conducted by the Chemung County Department of Social Services Special Investigations Unit, the Elmira Police Department, and the Chemung County Sheriff’s Office