Another 12 man accused of massive benefit fraud

Another 12 man is accused of fraudulent social benefits in Lakewood, NJ, causing the number of people involved in the fraudulent scheme to increase to 26 people.

All of them hid their income in order to receive state aid and benefits. State and federal prosecutors claim that families received more than $ 2,4 million in benefits.

The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office identified those accused on Wednesday:

• Eliezer and Elki Sorotskin;
• Samuel and Esther Serhofer;
• Israel and Rachel Merkin;
• Jerome Menchel and Mottel Friedman,
• Zvi and Este Brown,
• Moshe and Nechama Hirschman.

Allegedly, they received about $ 400 thousand in the form of benefits under the program Medicaid, as well as food stamps.

The prosecutor's office said on Thursday, 6 July, that the investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be brought.

After a wave of arrests, hundreds of people turned to social services asking them to cancel their benefits or report income.

Recall that during the arrests on Monday, June 26, Rabbi Zalmen Sorotskin and his wife Zippore was brought the charge of receiving more than $ 338 thousand in the form of benefits to which, as stated by the prosecutors, they were not eligible. Their lawyer said the defendants plead not guilty.

The couple was accused together with Mordechai and Yocheved Breskin, who, according to prosecutors, received more than $ 585 thousand in the form of benefits, which they also were not entitled to.

Zalmen Sorotzkin's brother and his wife were one of two couples who, by agreement, got tricked Medicaid.

They earned more than a million dollars in the 2012 year and in the 2013 year, they say in the case, but they still received more than $ 96 thousand in the form of benefits under the program Medicaid, including $ 22 thousands to pay for medical expenses, when their sixth child was born in November 2013 of the year.

According to the federal prosecution, the Nussbaum family concealed their income by creating companies that controlled them, but according to documents they were managed by relatives.

In the 2013 year, they earned a total of $ 1,8 million, but before the 2014 year they still received Medicaid and food benefits, prosecutors said.

The day after the first arrests арестовали three more couples who are accused of hiding their income in order to receive social security benefits.

Lakewood is the fastest growing city in the state and has more than 100 private religious schools. People expressed concern about how government money is being spent, and complaints from neighboring communities came along that said they were facing overly aggressive real estate agents who wanted to find homes for the Jewish community.

According to the census, in 2010, there were almost 93 000 residents in the city, which is about 32 000 more than 10 years earlier. According to Lakewood officials, the population is now close to 120 000 residents.

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