NEW YORK—Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes and New York City Human Resources Administration Commissioner Robert Doar today announced the indictment of Carmine Gargano, 65, and his wife Rosa Gargano, 57, for fraudulently collecting welfare benefits for which they were ineligible.
Between August 2004 and February 2009, the Garganos applied for and collected $33,509 in Medicaid benefits for themselves from their home at 8311 Ridge Boulevard. They falsely stated on their applications that their incomes were less than what they actually earned.
On applications, they claimed to be earning $150 per week. On one application, they claimed they were earning $19,593 per year. At the same time, they were jointly making over $500,000 in mortgage payments through a corporation to six separate personal mortgages with Chase or HSBC. They falsely filed for HRA benefits on four separate dates.
The defendants also concealed ownership of at least 13 properties by transferring the properties to shell companies. Each corporation had one of the defendants listed as their CEO and they all had their home address listed on business records.
The Garganos took themselves off of Medicaid two months after the District Attorney’s Office subpoenaed their corporate records in December 2008.
The couple were indicted on charges of Welfare Fraud in the Third Degree, Welfare Fraud in the Fourth Degree, Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, and three counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree. They each carry up to seven years in prison if convicted.
District Attorney Hynes said, “This is yet another case of welfare fraud where greedy individuals try to scam the government and take money away from people who really need it. I would like to thank HRA for their diligent efforts in uncovering this type of fraud and for continuing to cooperate with my office. Hopefully, these arrests will make others think twice before trying to collect welfare benefits to which they are not entitled.”
The DA’s office made clear that an indictment is not proof of a defendant’s guilt.
Between August 2004 and February 2009, the Garganos applied for and collected $33,509 in Medicaid benefits for themselves from their home at 8311 Ridge Boulevard. They falsely stated on their applications that their incomes were less than what they actually earned.
On applications, they claimed to be earning $150 per week. On one application, they claimed they were earning $19,593 per year. At the same time, they were jointly making over $500,000 in mortgage payments through a corporation to six separate personal mortgages with Chase or HSBC. They falsely filed for HRA benefits on four separate dates.
The defendants also concealed ownership of at least 13 properties by transferring the properties to shell companies. Each corporation had one of the defendants listed as their CEO and they all had their home address listed on business records.
The Garganos took themselves off of Medicaid two months after the District Attorney’s Office subpoenaed their corporate records in December 2008.
The couple were indicted on charges of Welfare Fraud in the Third Degree, Welfare Fraud in the Fourth Degree, Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, and three counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree. They each carry up to seven years in prison if convicted.
District Attorney Hynes said, “This is yet another case of welfare fraud where greedy individuals try to scam the government and take money away from people who really need it. I would like to thank HRA for their diligent efforts in uncovering this type of fraud and for continuing to cooperate with my office. Hopefully, these arrests will make others think twice before trying to collect welfare benefits to which they are not entitled.”
The DA’s office made clear that an indictment is not proof of a defendant’s guilt.
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