Two Charged With Welfare Fraud In Elmira

[TTL News 313]

Two Elmira residents have been charged with welfare fraud after an investigation. 

On Friday March 17th 2023, 55 year old Stephen Para of Elmira, NY was arrested on an Elmira City Court Warrant following an investigation conducted by the Chemung County Department of Social Services Special Investigations Unit, the Elmira Police Department, and the Chemung
County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation found that Stephen Para fraudulently completed four County Department of Social Services by failing to report household composition as required. As a result, he received $4,771.00 in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits that he was not eligible to receive.

Stephen Para was charged with one count of Welfare Fraud 3rd and one count of Grand Larceny 3rd, both Class D Felonies. He was additionally charged with four counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing 1st, all Class E Felonies.

On Tuesday March 28th 2023, 34 year old Estrella Rodriguez of Elmira, NY was arrested on a Superior Court Warrant following an indictment by the Chemung County Grand Jury. The arrest is a result of an investigation conducted by the Chemung County Department of Social Services
Special Investigations Unit, the Elmira Police Department, and the Chemung County Sheriff’s Office.

The investigation found that Estrella Rodriguez fraudulently completed two applications for public assistance with the Chemung County Department of Social Services by failing to report household composition as required. As a result, she received $4,138.00 in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits that she was not eligible to receive.

Estrella Rodriguez was charged with one count of Welfare Fraud 3rd and one count of Grand Larceny 3rd, both Class D Felonies. She was additionally charged with two counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing 1st, both Class E Felonies.

[MsKreed 1,199]

I'm always glad if we're able to stop/prevent abuses of the welfare system that already costs taxpayers dearly....

But honestly....what's the annual cost of the "Chemung County Department of Social Services Special Investigations Unit", and how does that cost weigh out in saving or recovering fraudulent benefits? 

Whenever I see these charges reported, it seems we only see a couple of people are charged every few months. Does that mean the agency's reporting is sporadic? Or that only a few are defrauding the system? Or that they're only able to charge the few they can prove? 

I also wonder why we don't ever see reports of the outcomes....resulting in any conviction and/or restitution.  I hope they aren't just getting dismissed. And really hope we aren't wasting money on court costs (after already spending money on the investigations themselves) if the cases are too weak to get convictions.

But then I wonder.........what's the penalty when they are convicted??? Restitution is the only practical penalty, but something tells me it wouldn't be easy to recover money from most (all?) of the defendants we see in these reports.

Felony convictions that don't get probation/restitution are minimum 1 year prison time.  On its face, locking these people up for a year sounds like "justice".  Until you do the math.  Even a few months in County Jail is costing more than the four grand they stole (and that's not counting whatever the "Special Investigations Unit" costs us).

So......it makes me question if there's really any point in shelling out more tax money than the crime?

Sorry if that was a bit of a rant.....but it might be better to use the “Special Investigations Unit” resources to help get the applicants fully vetted before paying benefits. So, deny them from the get-go, instead of paying for ineligible benefits, then paying for investigations then paying for adjudication, then paying for incarceration.

Edited March 29, 2023 by MsKreed

[Chris 2,196]

11 hours ago, MsKreed said:

Whenever I see these charges reported, it seems we only see a couple of people are charged every few months. Does that mean the agency's reporting is sporadic? Or that only a few are defrauding the system? Or that they're only able to charge the few they can prove? 

Ya know I've never really thought about it this way and you have a point. I mean, if I had to guess I'd say the ones reported to the media are the cases where the amount is over $1000, but I could be wrong. 

[MsKreed 1,199]

Seems like the ones they release publicly are typically $3-5,000....so you’re probably right that over certain amount, that rises to felony are all we hear about?

In any event, I see about 10-12 a year being charged at those amounts, but never once recall reading about any of them being convicted (let alone what sentence those convictions would result in). Restitution may offset a little of the investigation expenses, but incarceration is just adding to the final costs.

It just seems like they want to boast about charging people to give an impression of how “successful” their Unit is ....but avoiding telling the whole story makes me suspect that the actual cost/savings is not something they want to toot their horns about.

[Ann 268]

1 hour ago, MsKreed said:

Seems like the ones they release publicly are typically $3-5,000....so you’re probably right that over certain amount, that rises to felony are all we hear about?

In any event, I see about 10-12 a year being charged at those amounts, but never once recall reading about any of them being convicted (let alone what sentence those convictions would result in). Restitution may offset a little of the investigation expenses, but incarceration is just adding to the final costs.

It just seems like they want to boast about charging people to give an impression of how “successful” their Unit is ....but avoiding telling the whole story makes me suspect that the actual cost/savings is not something they want to toot their horns about.

The Welfare Fraud felonies received in the Court where I were worked were, for the most part, reduced to misdemeanors.  If they were sent to County Court, again, usually reduced and returned to the lower Court.

[MsKreed 1,199]

6 hours ago, Ann said:

The Welfare Fraud felonies received in the Court where I were worked were, for the most part, reduced to misdemeanors.  If they were sent to County Court, again, usually reduced and returned to the lower Court.

Not surprising.

I'm curious what type of penalty do the reduced misdemeanor charges result in, and how much of the fraudulent benefits the defendants end up paying back?  

[Ann 268]

22 minutes ago, MsKreed said:

Not surprising.

I'm curious what type of penalty do the reduced misdemeanor charges result in, and how much of the fraudulent benefits the defendants end up paying back?  

Grand Larceny reduced to Petit Larceny.  Fine, surcharge, DNA fee, Conditional Discharge or Probation.  I don’t recall  restitution being part of the sentence.  That’s why I never get excited when I see Welfare Fraud arrests reported.

Edited March 29, 2023 by Ann