Monday, February 23, 2009

Living the good life while on welfare

From the NY Post:

The number of people caught as welfare and Medicaid cheats in New York City skyrocketed by 45 percent last year, potentially costing taxpayers millions in fraudulent claims, figures obtained by The Post show.

Individuals nailed for gaming the system surged to 28,335 in 2008 from 19,476 the year before, according to the city Human Resources Administration.

A new Medicaid-fraud unit alone nabbed 10,379 cheaters.

Rita Mitilis, 37, was one of the scammers arrested earlier this month. She lived in a home worth more than $1 million and owned several luxury cars while receiving thousands in Medicaid benefits, Brooklyn prosecutors said.

Mitilis hid a bank account balance of $400,000 while she claimed more than $60,000 in Medicaid benefits for medical care for herself, her husband and her four children, according to investigators.

In addition to her home, she owns two rental properties in Brooklyn and two vacant lots in Florida as well as a commercial glass distribution business, Odyssey Glass and Storefront Inc., authorities said.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

So, you want the public to pay all your bills?

Then submit to fingerprint scan, and a complete background verification by FBI or police.

No welfare of any kind for felons.

Commit a fraud on the public. expect your next support to be associated with bars and guards.

Fraud by welfare employees? Again, long terms in jail, accompanied by the most senior manager - up to the commissioner or director, of the agency.

Anonymous said...

This is so sad. When people are genuinely poor they live in dire circumstances.

Lets hope creeps like this don't erode support for legitimate people destroyed by this terrible crisis. In my parish alone, over a thousand people are lining up to be fed at the church soup kitchen.

Anonymous said...

This is why hospitals are closing. I'm tired of seeing people driving around in their Lexus' & BMW's and then showing their medicaid card at the supermarkets.
The State needs to crack down on this abuse and STOP IT NOW!

Anonymous said...

She only Had Health insurance buddy, and pays more taxes than three of you put together.