Fired Riverhead Health Aide Didn’t Let Dismissal Stop Her $5K Medicaid Fraud: Investigators
A Long Island health care aide turned her month-long employment into an extended scheme and stole $5,000 from Medicaid, authorities said.
Latricia Hires, 34, of Bridgehampton, was arrested and arraigned in Riverhead on Tuesday, Oct. 13, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said.
Hires got a job in September 2025 as an aide for two residents at L’Arche – Long Island, a residential facility for people with intellectual disabilities in Riverhead, investigators said.
Her employment was terminated on Oct. 17, 2025, but she continued billing Public Partnerships LLC, the fiscal intermedi…
Seaford Church Robbed For Second Time In 10 Months — This Time Losing Religious Items: Police
A Long Island man stole religious items from a church altar in Seaford, leading to his arrest more than a week later, police said.
James J. Vollaro, 58, of Deer Park, entered Maria Regina Catholic Church on Jerusalem Avenue on Sept. 28 around 7:30 a.m., the Nassau County Police Department said.
Vollaro took sacramentals from the altar and left the church, authorities said. After looking into the theft, investigators tied Vollaro to the case and arrested him Wednesday, Oct. 7 without incident, police said.
He was charged with fourth-degree grand larceny and issued an appearance ticket, pol…
Ellenville Grocery Worker Busted In Months-Long $4,500 Theft Scheme: Police
A Hudson Valley woman stole nearly $4,500 from her employer over several months, police said Thursday, Oct. 8.
Denah R. Stratton, 35, of Ellenville, was arrested Tuesday, Oct. 6 for swiping from the Tops Friendly Market where she worked, New York State Police said.
Stratton took $4,456 across several months of employment, according to investigators.
She was charged with third-degree grand larceny and first-degree falsifying business records, state police said. Stratton was arraigned in Ulster County court following her arrest, then released until her next court date Friday, Oct. 9, accordi…
$78K Welfare Scheme Lands Port Jefferson Station Social Worker In Cuffs: Prosecutors
A Suffolk County social services employee swiped $78,000 from the national food stamps program, authorities said Wednesday, Oct. 7.
Kevin Hernandez Meza, 23, of Port Jefferson Station, distributed SNAP benefits to at least seven people who never applied for them, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said.
Hernandez Meza worked in the Suffolk County Department of Social Services as a Social Services Examiner, prosecutors said. His job was to review existing food stamps recipients to see if they still qualified for SNAP, according to authorities.
But instead, Hernandez Meza opened t…
Sag Harbor PTA Leader Sentenced For $15K Theft For Personal Shopping Sprees: Authorities
A Long Island PTA leader who stole nearly $15,000 from her organization was sentenced Tuesday, Oct. 6.
Hope Livingston, 50, of Sag Harbor, got five years of probation for her theft, and she was ordered to repay the money she stole, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said.
Livingston’s sentence was in line with a plea deal she took on Tuesday, Aug. 4, according to authorities. She owes a total of $14,487 in restitution.
From July 2021 to June 2024, Livingston served in leadership roles with the Sag Harbor Elementary School PTA, investigators said. This gave her access to the grou…
Fraud Protections Saved Roosevelt Disability Center From $1M Theft — FL Woman Stole $50K: Cops
A Florida woman tried to steal $1 million from a disability assistance center on Long Island, police said Monday, Oct. 5.
Nicole Ramirez, 28, of Orlando, only got about $50,000, the Nassau County Police Department said. She was arrested five months later, cops said.
The Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County was contacted May 5 by someone claiming to be a representative from M&T Bank, police said. The caller provided the necessary account information, according to investigators.
But eight days later, the Cerebral Palsy Association received a follow-up call from the actual M&T …
Scammers Came Back For Another $18K From Manorhaven Senior — But Cops Had A Plan: Authorities
An elderly Long Island woman nearly lost $50,000 to a scam before cops arrested one suspect, police said Friday, Sept. 18.
Han Bing Wu, 31, of Flushing, Queens, was charged for part of the scam, the Nassau County Police Department said.
An 84-year-old Manorhaven woman got an alert on her computer claiming to be the Citibank fraud department on Sunday, Sept. 13, authorities said. She called the phone number on her screen, and someone on the other end told her to take out $30,000 cash and give it to an “FBI agent,” according to investigators.
The woman met with the fake agent and handed over…
Duo Steals Thousands Of Dollars' Worth Of Tools From Construction Sites In Purchase: Cops
Two people, including a New Jersey woman, are facing multiple felony charges after police said they targeted construction sites and homes under construction in Westchester County, NY, during two late-night theft sprees.
Yonkers resident Jose Hernandez-Done, 36, and Mercedes Yudelka Morgan, 40, of Hackensack, NJ, were arrested following an investigation into burglaries and grand larcenies in the Town of Harrison, the Harrison Police Department announced on Wednesday, Sept. 9.
The investigation began after incidents overnight on both Aug. 13 and Aug. 14, police said. &n…
18-Year-Old Thief Took $3K From Wilton Mall: Police
A Capital Region teenager was arrested for swiping cash and items from a store over several days, police said Sunday, Aug. 30.
Angel M. DeJesus Jr., 18, of Ballston Spa, was nabbed Wednesday, Aug. 26 for the thefts at Wilton Mall in Saratoga Springs, the Saratoga County Sheriff’s office said.
Cops responded to an active larceny complaint at the mall around 7:20 p.m. Wednesday, and the ensuing investigation led to DeJesus’s arrest, authorities said. Detectives determined DeJesus had stolen currency and merchandise from a store between Wednesday, Aug. 19 and Monday, Aug. 24, according to the …
$495K In Mailed Checks Intercepted From Woodbury Company, Queens Man Charged: Police
A Queens man has been arrested more than a year after nearly half a million dollars in checks mailed by a Long Island company were intercepted, police announced on Wednesday, Aug. 19.
Raymond Nagaloo, 31, of Queens, was arrested following an investigation by the department's Electronics Squad/Fraud & Forgery Section, Nassau County Police said.
The investigation began after a Woodbury company mailed two checks totaling more than $495,000 that were intercepted by an unknown person on Monday, June 23, 2025, according to detectives.
Nagaloo was arrested in connection with the intercepted c…
$9.5K Debt Relief Payment Lands Hicksville Man Grand Larceny Charge: Police
A Long Island man is accused of taking thousands of dollars from a customer who thought the money would help settle his debts, police announced on Wednesday, Aug. 12.
Nitin Pal Singh, 43, of Hicksville, was arrested following an investigation into a $9,500 payment made to a debt relief company, according to Nassau County Police.
The case began when a 40-year-old man was contacted by a company called Wavepayz and offered debt relief assistance on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, detectives said.
The victim agreed and was instructed to pay $9,500 to Purzue Care Inc., located at 64 Gardner Ave. in Hick…
Somers Golf Club Manager Stole $12K, Cash, Checks, Clubs: State Police
A restaurant manager at a Westchester golf club stole thousands of dollars from the business before returning days later and breaking into the clubhouse, New York State Police said.
David Chung, 37, of Somers, was arrested Friday, Aug. 7, following a string of incidents at Somers National Golf Club at 1000 West Hill Drive, according to State Police. The investigation began after police learned Chung obtained a combined $4,800 from two people on Saturday, July 25, authorities said.
Chung told the two people the money was needed to repair damage they had caused at the golf club before an…
Senior Hands Scammer $40K In Baldwin Parking Lot After Social Security Hoax: Police
A Long Island senior was scammed out of $40,000 by a Queens schemer, police said Tuesday, July 28.
Junkai Chen, 35, of Fresh Meadows, called the 73-year-old victim and told him his bank account and social security number had been compromised, the Nassau County Police Department said.
The man believed the phone call and followed Chen’s instructions to withdraw $40,000 cash from his bank, then deliver it to an unknown man in a parking lot on Grand Avenue in Baldwin on Thursday, June 25, cops said.
Shortly after the dropoff, the victim realized he’d been scammed and called police, authorities…
Man Steals Wallet From Gym Locker, Tries Using Victim's Credit Card In Yorktown: Police
A 68-year-old man faces grand larceny charges after police said he stole a wallet from a gym locker in Westchester County and tried using the victim's credit card.
Peekskill resident Martin L. Robbins, 68, was arrested on Wednesday, July 8, in connection with an incident at Club Fit Jefferson Valley at 600 Bank Rd. in Yorktown, the Yorktown Police Department announced on Tuesday, July 14.
According to police, on Friday, July 3, the department received a report regarding a larceny at the fitness center. Officers later found that a wallet had been stolen from a locker at the facili…
Double-Dipping Brightwaters Clerk Gets Prison For Stealing From Boss And Taxpayers: Authorities
A Long Island woman who stole from her employer and from taxpayers has been sentenced to prison time, authorities announced Tuesday, June 30.
Christa Ramos, 57, of Brightwaters, got three to six years behind bars for swiping $230,000 from her company and $40,000 through unemployment fraud, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said.
Ramos worked as a clerk for Northeast Electrical Contractors from December 2018 to June 2023 and was responsible for paying company bills, authorities said.
But in addition to that, she also wrote numerous checks to herself, which she deposited into he…
Woman Steals Credit Cards From Assisted Living Facility Residents In Yorktown: Police
A woman who works at an assisted living facility in Westchester County has been accused of stealing credit cards from residents and using them to make purchases, police said.
Kimon Hughes, 41, of White Plains, was arrested on Monday, June 15, following an investigation into thefts at The Country House in Westchester at 2000 Baldwin Rd. in Yorktown, Yorktown Police announced on Tuesday, June 16.
The investigation began on April 29, when officers received a report from a resident of The Country House regarding a larceny and identity theft. According to police, an unknown suspect stole a…
Pennsylvania Victims' Stolen Funds Routed Through Islip Coinbase Account: Police
A Long Island man is accused of taking thousands of dollars stolen from two Pennsylvania residents in a phone scam scheme, police announced on Monday, June 1.
Chancellor McKee, 22, of Islip, was arrested after an investigation into unauthorized transfers from two victims' bank accounts, according to Suffolk County Police.
The Pennsylvania residents had $2,500 and $4,500 separately removed from their accounts and transferred into a Coinbase cryptocurrency account belonging to McKee on Nov. 12, 2025, investigators said.
Police said the victims had fallen for a phone scam before the money w…
Queens Duo Steal Over $1.5K In Feminine, Cosmetic Products From Yorktown CVS: Police
Two Queens women are accused of stealing more than $1,500 worth of merchandise from a CVS store in Westchester County — and later turning themselves in on active arrest warrants, police said.
The arrests were made on Thursday, May 14, when 23-year-old Melanie Ortiz and 32-year-old Thifany Lopez, both of College Point, surrendered themselves to Yorktown Police, the department said on Thursday, May 21.
Police said the arrests stem from an Aug. 25, 2025 larceny investigation at the CVS located at 2000 Commerce St. in Yorktown. Investigators alleged that three women stole femi…
Fake ID Helped NYC Teen Swipe Packages Worth $97K From Hicksville Facility: Police
A New York City teenager has been busted for stealing two FedEx packages worth $97,000 on Long Island using a fake ID, police said Monday, May 18.
Denys Hryshchenko, 18, of Staten Island, was arrested around 7 a.m. and charged with first-degree identity theft, second-degree possession of a forged instrument, second-degree grand larceny and unlawful possession of identifying information, the Nassau County Police Department said.
Hryshchenko used the false identification to obtain two packages with items valued at $97,000 inside on Thursday, April 23, at a FedEx facility at 25 Newbridge Road …
$3.4M Medicaid Fraud Scheme: New Windsor Couple Admits Fraudulently Billing NY For Fake Trips
An Orange County couple and their transportation companies have admitted to stealing more than $3.4 million from New York’s Medicaid program through a years-long fraudulent billing scheme, prosecutors said.
New Windsor resident Rohail Raja, 45, pleaded guilty in Orange County Court to first-degree grand larceny, while his wife, Shama Alam, 45, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree conspiracy, Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler and New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced on Thursday, May 14.
Their companies, Unique Class Limo, Inc., and SNR Limo, Inc.,…
