NEW YORK STATE POLICE
Major Edward J. Kennedy
Troop A Commander

PRESS RELEASE:

Almond woman arrested for welfare fraud, filing a false instrument

On August 22, 2019, SP Amity Troopers arrested Mary B. Wiles, 33, of Almond, NY for Welfare Fraud 3rd Degree and Filing a False Instrument 1st Degree.

An investigation led Troopers to discover Wiles had filed false paperwork with Allegany County DSS while applying for public assistance, which resulted in Wiles receiving $9,052.28 in benefits to which she was not entitled.

Wiles was arrested and arraigned in Friendship Town Court where she was remanded to the Allegany County Jail in lieu of $5,000 bail or $10,000 bond. She is due to appear in Belmont Village Court at a later date.

Delaware County District Attorney John Hubbard today announced the recovery of Public Assistance Benefits in excess of $60,000.00. Heather Becker and her husband Fred Becker, of Sidney, NY made payment of $61,821.21 to the Delaware County Department of Social Services and they were each further disqualified from receiving public benefits. This recovery is the result of a lengthy investigation by the Delaware County Department of Social Services Fraud Investigations Unit. The investigation revealed that over the course of five years, Heather Becker submitted written documents to the Department of Social Services in which she failed to report her household income in its entirety, and as a result, received SNAP and Medicaid benefits to which she was not entitled.
This prosecution was the result of an investigation conducted by DSS investigators. DSS investigators referred the case to my office for prosecution after they determined that the Beckers had rental income from multiple properties, along with other liquid assets of over 1.8 million dollars.
District Attorney Hubbard stated, “This is an egregious case of welfare fraud, based upon the large amount of the defendants’ unreported income. We were able to determine that the defendants owned, mortgage free, at least six rental properties in Delaware County alone. They attempted to conceal such a substantial amount of income from DSS in an effort to get public assistance benefits designed to assist truly impoverished individuals.”
This is the latest recovery of taxpayer money from those who fraudulently obtained Welfare benefits in Delaware County. District Attorney Hubbard stated, “We have recovered over $380,000.00 so far this year. That amount has actually been restored to Delaware County, and does not include other cases in which the defendants have been convicted of welfare fraud and ordered to pay restitution.
“We will continue to prosecute this fraudulent activity, in an effort to ensure that money isn’t diverted from programs designed to help the needy,” District Attorney Hubbard stated.
The District Attorney’s office will continue to work in partnership with the Department of Social Services to ensure the integrity of public assistance programs. If you would like to report Welfare Fraud to the Delaware County Department of Social Services, please contact the Welfare Fraud Hotline at (607) 832-5404.

LOWVILLE — According to an Oct. 2 report from the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, 13 individuals have been arrested on welfare fraud and other charges. The total amount associated with these arrests is $25,694.05.

Through an investigation conducted in conjunction with the Lewis County Department Of Social Services Fraud Unit, the Sheriff’s Department have arrested the following individuals who were arraigned in either the Village of Lowville Court or Town of Lowville Court on their respective arrest dates and released to await further court proceedings:

Sept. 21: Krista Wenstrom, 33, Lowville, two counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree; fourth degree grand larceny, fourth degree welfare fraud; Rachel Leonard, 27, Utica, offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree; fourth degree grand larceny, fourth degree welfare fraud

Sept. 23: Jessica Dean, 24, Carthage, offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree; third degree grand larceny, third degree welfare fraud; Brynna Hutteman-Kall, 27, Watertown, fourth degree grand larceny, fourth degree welfare fraud
Sept. 24: Erica Landrum, 30, Glenfield, third degree grand larceny, third degree welfare fraud; Corey Baxter, 35, Glenfield, offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree; third degree grand larceny, third degree welfare fraud
Sept. 25: Amber Hannibal, 30, Forestport, seven counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree; fourth degree grand larceny, fourth degree welfare fraud; Alysa Ortlieb, 35, Lowville, two counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree; fourth degree grand larceny, fourth degree welfare fraud; Jennifer Gilbert, 37, Fonda, offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree; fourth degree grand larceny, fourth degree welfare fraud

Sept. 26: Andrea Cullop, 34, Lowville, two counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree; fourth degree grand larceny, fourth degree welfare fraud
Oct. 1: Jennifer Chaprnan, 37, Lyons Faus, offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree; fourth degree grand larceny, fourth degree welfare fraud; Timothy Carman, 38, Lyons Falls, fourth degree grand larceny, fourth degree welfare fraud; Jennifer Cook, 45, Lowville, fourth degree grand larceny, fourth degree welfare fraud.