What to Know
- 12 people have been indicted in a scheme to steal welfare benefits to buy $8,000 worth of food like king crab legs and steak
- Five of the suspects are current or former employees of the nonprofit that runs the facility; the rest are family or associates
- The Federation of Organizations released a statement to news outlets saying it has a "zero tolerance policy" for such alleged conduct
A dozen men and women have been arrested for allegedly stealing food stamps from adults with mental disabilities at a Long Island residential facility and using the benefits to buy king crab legs, steaks, racks of ribs and baby formula, among other items, officials say.
The 12 allegedly stole the SNAP Electronic Benefits Cards (EBT) belonging to 11 residents at the 50-bed facility on the grounds of an assisted living facility in Brentwood and shared them with family and friends, according to the report from Inspector General Leahy Scott released Monday.
According to the report, some of the stolen EBT cards, which require a pin code to use, were used at big local grocery stores and wholesale clubs between spring 2015 and fall 2017 to rack up nearly $8,000 in food products "while no significant cooking facilities are available at the group residence itself."
“In this case it is not the size of the financial scheme that makes the crime so disturbing, but rather the depravity of the defendants for their willingness to use their positions to prey upon some of the most vulnerable individuals in our community,” Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini said in a statement. “These perpetrators were entrusted to care for these victims and instead robbed them of their most basic resource."
Leahy called the scheme "shamelessly corrupt."
The residential facility in Brentwood is one of several run by the nonprofit Federation of Organizations, which has numerous locations throughout Long Island and New York City. Five of the suspects are current or former employees of the Federation of Organizations. The other suspects are family, significant others or associates. The defendants range in age from 28 to 50; all live on Long Island. They face charges ranging from endangerment of a person with disabilities to criminal possession of stolen property and grand larceny.
Local
The Federation of Organizations released a statement to news outlets saying it has a "zero tolerance policy" for such alleged conduct.
"We are providing the authorities with all requested and relevant information," the statement said. "In addition, we have taken all appropriate measures to ensure the safety of our clients, whose welfare is paramount."
