Welfare Fraud: 5 From Region Nabbed By Task Force With Theft Of Funds

Five residents from the region have been charged with defrauding welfare for a range of alleged crimes following an investigation.

From left: Elizabeth Newell, Jasmine Lambrecht, Trudy Mack-Simms, Randalpho Simms, and Ronika Alston
Photo Credit: *Sullivan County Welfare Fraud Task Force*

Kathy Reakes

05/15/2023 12:30 p.m.

The arrests took place in Sullivan County over the past 30 days by the Sullivan County Welfare Fraud Task Force.

All five are Sullivan County residents:

Jasmine Lambrecht, age 27, of Liberty, was arrested Wednesday, April 19, and charged with offering a false instrument for filing and welfare fraud. It is alleged that Lambrecht failed to provide truthful information about income on a periodic update report filed in Jan. 2022 with the Sullivan County Department of Social Services. The unreported income and the false document filed resulted in an overpayment of SNAP benefits in the amount of $1,106.
Randalpho Simms, age 47, and Trudy Mack-Simms, age 41, both of Eldred, were arrested Friday, April 21, and charged with acting in concert together to commit welfare fraud and offering a false instrument for filing. It is alleged that Mack-Simms and Simms filed a false Home Energy Assistance Program application in August 2021 and a false periodic update report in September 2021. It is also alleged that during this time Mack-Simms failed to disclose income from employment in Ulster County. The fraudulent documents and the unreported income resulted in Mack-Simms and Simms receiving an overpayment of SNAP benefits in the amount of $4,285.
Ronika Alston, age 28, of Monticello, was arrested Saturday, May 6, and charged with grand larceny. It is alleged that Alston stole $2,492 in SNAP benefits from the Sullivan County Department of Social Services by failing to disclose that she was employed.
Elizabeth Newell, age 25, of Loch Sheldrake, was arrested Tuesday, May 9, and charged with welfare fraud, offering a false instrument for filing, and grand larceny. It is alleged that Newell was in receipt of SNAP benefits while failing to disclose household income from other family members. This unreported income resulted in an overpayment in the amount of $1,877.

All were processed and released on an appearance ticket to return to the Town of Liberty Court at a later date.

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