JOHNSTOWN – A Gloversville couple accused of illegally receiving more than $22,000 were among 24 people recently accused of defrauding the Fulton County Department of Social Services.
Officials with the DSS Investigative Unit said the 24 suspects are accused of receiving a total of $80,640 in benefits to which they were not entitled.
Authorities said Steven Welch, 30, and Stephanie Welch, 32, both of Gloversville, were arrested Jan. 15. It was determined the couple failed to report self-employment income. The couple received $6,542 in SNAP (food stamp) benefits, $14,791 in Medicaid and $1,060 in Home Energy Assistance Program, or HEAP, benefits they were not entitled to, from Aug. 1, 2010, through March 31, 2012, authorities said.
Both were charged with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, third-degree welfare fraud and third-degree grand larceny. Both were issued appearance tickets for Johnstown City Court.
Investigators provided this list of other DSS fraud arrests that took place from Dec. 10 through Wednesday.
Michelle Goodrich, 53, of Gloversville was arrested March 26. She failed to report all household members at the time of applications for assistance, authorities said. She received $8,220 in SNAP benefits she was not entitled to from Aug. 28, 2009, to Feb. 24, 2012, authorities said. She was charged with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, third-degree welfare fraud and third-degree grand larceny. She was arraigned in Johnstown City Court and released on her own recognizance.
Rebecca Jones, 36, and Clyde Jones, 47, of Gloversville were arrested Dec. 10. It was determined the household failed to report unemployment benefits, authorities said. The couple received $2,888 in SNAP benefits they were not entitled to, authorities said. Both were charged with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, fourth-degree welfare fraud and fourth-degree grand larceny. Both appeared in Johnstown City Court.
Michelle Martorano, 30, and Allan Mosher, 34, both of Gloversville, were arrested Jan. 10. It was determined they failed to report household income and received $1,374 in SNAP and $560 in HEAP benefits from Feb. 1, 2012, to July 31, 2012, authorities said.
They were charged with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, fourth-degree welfare fraud and fourth-degree grand larceny. Both were issued tickets to appear in Johnstown City Court.
Allan Mosher, 34, of Gloversville was arrested Feb. 14. It was determined he failed to report veterans benefits when he applied for assistance and received $3,815 in Medicaid benefits he was not entitled to from Oct. 1, 2011, to Sept. 30, 2012, authorities said. Mosher was charged with third-degree grand larceny and third-degree welfare fraud. He was issued an appearance ticket for Johnstown City Court.
Faith Owen, 40, of Gloversville was arrested on Jan. 1. It was determined she failed to report workers’ compensation benefits and received $5,200 in SNAP benefits and $2,070 in HEAP benefits she was not entitled to from July 1, 2010, to Aug. 31, 2012, authorities said. Owen was charged with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, third-degree welfare fraud and third-degree grand larceny. She was issued an appearance ticket for Johnstown City Court.
Valerie Gilboy-Murray, 23, of Durhamville, Oneida County, was arrested Jan. 16. Gilboy-Murray applied for SNAP benefits for an individual who did not live with her at the time of application, authorities said. She was arraigned in Johnstown City Court and sent to the Fulton County Jail in lieu of $1,000 cash bail or $2,000 bond.
Carleton Frasier, 33, of Johnstown was arrested Feb. 4. Frasier failed to apply for all household members on his applications for assistance, authorities said. He received $6,322 in temporary assistance benefits, $6,082 in SNAP benefits and $425 in HEAP benefits he was not entitled to from March 17, 2011, to Jan. 31, 2013, authorities said. He was charged with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, third-degree welfare fraud and third-degree grand larceny. He was arraigned in City Court.
Theresa Corlew, 59, of Johnstown was arrested Feb. 11. Corlew failed to report unemployment benefits at the time of application and received $697 in SNAP benefits she was not entitled to from Feb. 27, 2012, to Aug. 31, 2012, authorities said. She was charged with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, fifth-degree welfare fraud and petit larceny. She was issued an appearance ticket for City Court.
Stephen Kalkbrenner, 36, of Gloversville was arrested March 18. Kalkbrenner submitted false documents to the department to obtain eligibility for assistance and received $1,077 in temporary assistance benefits and $200 in SNAP benefits he was not entitled to from Sept. 19, 2012, to Dec. 31, 2012, authorities said. He was charged with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, fourth-degree welfare fraud and fourth-degree grand larceny. He was issued a ticket to appear in Johnstown City Court.
Carol Tarbox, 43, of Broadalbin was arrested March 15. Tarbox failed to report Social Security benefits at the time of her application and received $2,874 in SNAP benefits she was not entitled to from Sept. 1, 2010, to Feb. 28, 2011, authorities said. She was charged with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, fourth-degree welfare fraud and fourth-degree grand larceny. She was issued a ticket to appear in Johnstown City Court.
Jayson Ackernecht, 39, of Gloversville was arrested April 2. He applied for SNAP benefits for an individual who did not live in his household at the time of application, authorities said. He was charged with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing. He was issued an appearance ticket for Johnstown City Court.
Nanette Ostrander, 45, of Johnstown was arrested April 4. Ostrander sold her SNAP benefit card for cash, authorities said. She was charged with second-degree criminal use of a public-benefit card. She was issued an appearance ticket for Johnstown City Court.
Todd Heroth, 47, of Johnstown was arrested April 4. Heroth sold his SNAP benefit card for cash, authorities said. He was charged with second-degree criminal use of a public- benefit card. He was issued an appearance ticket for City Court.
Robert Pabis, 37, of Gloversville was arrested April 5. Pabis failed to report all household members and their income when he applied for emergency assistance, authorities said. He received $874 in temporary assistance benefits he was not entitled to, authorities said. He was charged with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, fifth-degree welfare fraud and petit larceny. He was issued a ticket to appear in Johnstown City Court.
Robert Mannix, 43, of Johnstown was arrested April 5. Mannix failed to report his self-employment business, Rob’s Dogs, when he applied for SNAP benefits, authorities said. He received $2,202 in SNAP benefits he was not entitled from Dec. 1, 2011, to May 31, 2012, authorities said. He was charged with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, fourth-degree welfare fraud and fourth-degree grand larceny. He was arraigned in City Court and sent without bail to the Fulton County Jail.
Jessica Swart, 31, of Gloversville was arrested April 9. Swart failed to report all of her income when she applied for SNAP benefits and received $734 in SNAP benefits she was not entitled to from Jan. 1, 2013, to Feb. 28, 2013, authorities said. She was charged with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, fifth-degree welfare fraud and petit larceny. She was issued an appearance ticket for Johnstown City Court.
Melissa Hendricks, 36, and Thomas Hendricks, 31, of Johnstown were arrested April 9. The couple failed to report income on their applications for SNAP benefits and received $7,590 in SNAP benefits they were not entitled to from Jan. 1, 2012, to Dec. 31, 2012, authorities said. They were charged with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, third-degree welfare fraud and third-degree grand larceny. They were arraigned in City Court.
Vicki Ross, 56, of Johnstown was arrested April 10. Ross failed to report her wages when she applied for SNAP benefits and received $1,200 in SNAP benefits she was not entitled to from March 2012, to Aug. 31, 2012, authorities said. She was charged with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, fourth-degree welfare fraud and fourth-degree grand larceny. She was issued a ticket to appear in City Court.
Kristie Cannizzaro, 32, of Broadalbin was arrested April 12. Cannizzaro failed to report all household wages at time of her application for SNAP benefits and received $486 in SNAP benefits she was not entitled to from March 1, 2013, to March 31, 2013, authorities said.
She was charged with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, fifth-degree welfare fraud and petit larceny. She was issued a ticket to appear in Johnstown City Court.
Ruth Dutcher-Rogers, 30, of Northville was arrested on April 15. Dutcher-Rogers failed to report Social Security benefits at time of application and received $3,354 in SNAP benefits she was not entitled to from Jan. 1, 2012, to Dec. 31, 2012, authorities said. She was charged with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, third-degree welfare fraud and third-degree grand larceny. She was issued a ticket to appear in City Court.
The unit also disqualified an additional 31 individuals from receiving cash, child care and food stamp benefits for a total of 330 months. These disqualifications resulted in $21,222 in temporary assistance program savings, $5,550 in child care program savings and $35,532 in SNAP savings.
More arrests are pending by the county Welfare Fraud Task Force Team. The team consists of the county Department of Social Services Investigative Unit, the county Sheriff’s Department and county District Attorney’s Office.
To report welfare fraud, the public can call 736-5620.
