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04
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES AND NYC HUMAN RESOURCES
ADMINISTRATION COMMISSIONER ROBERT DOAR ANNOUNCE INDICTMENTS
OF EIGHT INDIVIDUALS FOR FRAUDULENTLY COLLECTING OVER
$500,000 IN GOVERNMENT BENEFITS
ONE DEFENDANT COLLECTED BENEFITS WHILE CONCEALING THE FACT THAT HE OWNED
FIVE BUSINESSES
Brooklyn,
January 31, 2012 – Kings County District Attorney
Charles J. Hynes and NYC Human Resources Administration
Commissioner Robert Doar today announced the indictments of
eight individuals for falsifying applications in order to
fraudulently collect over $500,000 in welfare and other
benefits.
District Attorney Hynes said, “HRA funds are a
crucial lifeline for thousands of struggling New Yorkers.
When individuals like these defendants who have
substantial income try to cheat the system, it hurts the
neediest among us.
Those who intentionally conceal information to obtain
benefits for which they are not eligible will be prosecuted
to the fullest extent of the law.
I would like to thank Commissioner Doar and HRA for
their assistance in these investigations.”
Commissioner Doar said, “While the vast majority of
New Yorkers receiving public assistance are honest about
their situation, unfortunately there are a few who try to
prey on the system.
Those who intentionally steal from government
programs meant for those in need should be forewarned that
this will not be tolerated and they will be prosecuted to
the fullest extent of the law. I would like to thank
District Attorney Hynes for his strong commitment to
pursuing the prosecution of those who commit welfare fraud.”
Mohammed Irshad Chaudhry, 58, is charged with
fraudulently collecting $146,887.41 in Medicaid benefits
from HRA between January 1, 2004 and November 30, 2011 for
himself, his wife and their five children.
The indictment alleges he committed this fraud by falsifying
Medicaid applications.
On the application Chaudhry claimed he was employed
by Super Punjab Auto Repair shop in
Long Island City and earned $300-$350 per week, and
that he was a “helper” at a TriBeCa tea shop.
The indictment further alleges that Chaudhry is the owner of
both the auto repair shop and the tea shop, from which he
earned up to $8,000 per month, beginning in January 2004.
He is also the alleged owner of a taxi cab and a taxi
medallion, which brought in between $4,000-$8,000 per month.
Deeds show his wife and his son purchased a rental
property in 2008 at Brighton 8th
Street where the family receives
$2,950 each month from building tenants.
Chaudhry allegedly failed to disclose that he derived income
from other businesses, notably a Citgo gas station in
Elmsford and Pak Sweets House in Coney Island Avenue.
Chaudhry made regular purchases from high-end retail stores
like Brooks Brothers and donated $10,000 to a non-profit
organization, the Pakistani American Merchants Association.
The indictment charges Chaudhry with Welfare Fraud in the
Second Degree, Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, and 12
counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the
First Degree. If
convicted of the top count, Chaudhry faces a maximum of 15
years in prison.
In a separate indictment, Oksana Bourukhova, 33, is charged
with illegally collecting $39,310 in food stamps and $59,993
from Medicaid, totaling $99,303 between March 1, 2003 and
December 31, 2010. According to the indictment, she applied
for benefits under her maiden name and falsely claimed that
she is a single mother of her three children when in fact
she has been living with the employed father of those three
children who actually worked in a Medicaid office, Health
Plus, since 2003.
Bourukhova is charged with Welfare Fraud in the Second
Degree, Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and eight counts
of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First
Degree. If
convicted of the top charge, she faces up to 15 years in
prison.
The third indictment charges husband and wife, Nuray Zivali,
37, and Yuksel Zivali, 42, with
applying for and
receiving Brooklyn-based Medicaid benefits, totaling over
$50,000. The
couple lived in West Babylon, Long Island at the time they
applied for the benefits.
They fraudulently listed the address of Brooklyn
family members on the paperwork.
Charges include Welfare Fraud in the Second Degree,
Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and five counts of
Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree.
If convicted of the top count, the defendants each
face up to15 years in prison.
In the fourth indictment, Anna Fan, 36, received $8,077 in
Medicaid benefits for herself and her three children from
December 18, 2008 to December 31, 2009.
According to the indictment, she failed to disclose
on her Medicaid applications and recertification forms that
she owned a commercial rental property in New Jersey.
Records show that Fan regularly pays $2,700 a month,
in cash mortgage payments on that property.
She is charged with Welfare Fraud in the Third Degree
and Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First
Degree and if convicted, faces seven years in prison for the
top count.
The fifth indictment charges Unise Key, 43, with concealing
her employment as an MTA conductor in order to receive
$6,210 in food stamp assistance from April 1, 2009 to
December 1, 2010.
She claimed on HRA applications that the only income
she received as a single mother was $813.50 a month in
disability payments however she was receiving salary and
employed by the MTA.
The defendant also allegedly underreported her income to the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in
order to receive federal Section 8 housing assistance
subsidies. From
September 1, 2001 to September 1, 2010, Unise Key
fraudulently collected $48,087 in Section 8 housing
assistance.
“Individuals wait a long period of time, sometimes years on
a waiting list for subsidized housing, said
Kevin Chan, Acting Special
Agent-in-Charge, Department of Housing and Urban
Development, Office of Inspector General.
“We will continue to work with the Brooklyn DA’s Office to
investigate those who cheat the Section 8 program.”
Charges against Key include Welfare Fraud in the
Third Degree, Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, Offering a
False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, and Issuing
a False Financial Statement.
If convicted of the top count, Welfare Fraud in the
Third Degree, the defendant faces a maximum of seven years
in prison.
The final indictment alleges that Mehtab Qureshi, 43, and
Sarfaraz Qureshi, 58, are the owners and landlords of six
properties located in Brooklyn and upstate New York and that
Sarfaraz Qureshi is the President and Chairman of Discount
Contracting Corp.
In 2006 they applied for and received Medicaid benefits by
lying on their application.
They failed to disclose that they owned the
properties and Mr. Qureshi claimed to be an employee at the
corporation of which he was President and Chairman.
This continued through 2012.
Over six years the Qureshis stole $168,502 in
benefits, the indictment charges.
The charges include Welfare Fraud in the Second Degree,
Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and five counts of
Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree.
If convicted of the top count, they each face 15 years in
prison.
An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a
defendant’s guilt.
The cases were investigated by the Human
Resources Administration Bureau of Fraud Investigation and
are being prosecuted
by Deputy Bureau Chief Sabrina Thanse, Assistant District
Attorney Heidi Bausk and Assistant District Attorney Krystyn
Tendy in the Public Assistance Crimes Unit.
Lauren Mack is Chief of the Public Assistance Crimes
Unit.
Contact:
Mia
Goldberg
(718) 250-2300
03
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY CHARLES J.
HYNES, NYC POLICE COMMISSIONER RAYMOND W. KELLY AND NYC
SPECIAL NARCOTICS PROSECUTOR BRIDGET G. BRENNAN ANNOUNCE
INDICTMENTS OF
43
GANG MEMBERS
TWO WARRING GANGS FOUGHT EACH OTHER AND
TERRORIZED BROWNSVILLE; COMMUNITY LEADERS HAIL THE EFFORTS
OF LAW ENFORCEMENT IN TAKEDOWN
GANG VICTIMS INCLUDE INNOCENT BYSTANDER
KILLED AFTER SHOTS WERE FIRED INTO COURTYARD
Brooklyn, January 19, 2012 – Kings County
District Attorney Charles J. Hynes, NYC Police Commissioner
Raymond W. Kelly and NYC Special Narcotics Prosecutor
Bridget G. Brennan today announced two indictments of a
total of 43 gang members associated with two warring gangs
who terrorized Brownsville as part of “Operation Tidal
Wave”. The
takedown of the two feuding gangs, the Wave Gang and the
Hoodstarz, was a joint effort among the Kings County
District Attorney’s Office and the New York Police
Department. Most of
the attacks were perpetrated against rival gang members.
In one indictment, 25 members of the Wave Gang face charges
including Murder in the Second Degree, Conspiracy in the
First Degree, Conspiracy in the Second Degree, Conspiracy in
the Third Degree, Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, Assault
in the Second Degree, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the
Second Degree and Attempted Robbery in the Third Degree.
In the other indictment, 18 members of the Hoodstarz face
charges including Murder in the Second Degree, Conspiracy in
the First Degree, Conspiracy in the Second Degree,
Conspiracy in the Third Degree, Conspiracy in the Fourth
Degree, Assault in the First Degree, Assault in the Second
Degree, Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree and
Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree.
The indictment alleges that Hoodstarz gangleader Culture
Bermudez gave orders to his gang to shoot rival gang
members. On
August 31, 2011, Gilberto Vincente, seeking out rival gang
members, fired several shots into a courtyard, killing an
innocent bystander, Daniel Aleys, with a bullet to the head,
and injuring other innocent bystanders including a
nine-year-old boy and his father.
Also, according to the indictment, the investigation found
that between November 1, 2010 and December 20, 2011, many
members of the Hoodstarz gang were armed with weapons.
In addition, on July 8, 2011, Deon Miller and Donald
Haywood, armed with handguns, repeatedly fired at a group of
individuals, striking a 13-year-old and 14-year old victim
in the legs. The indictment also alleges that on August 5,
2011, William Battle repeatedly fired his gun at a member of
the Wave gang, hitting him in the foot and calf.
The gang is also charged for several other crimes.
According to the second indictment, between June 4, 2010 and
January 9, 2012, many members of the Wave Gang were found
with weapons in their possession.
In one incident, on July 23, 2011, defendant Andre
Moore shot and killed a rival gang member.
One of Moore’s shots also struck a female bystander.
The indictment alleges that Deshaun Gilyard shot a
rival gang member in the leg and Sahiah Davis shot Nathaniel
Walcott, a Hoodstarz gang member, in the back, killing him.
The indictment also charges the gang with committing
several robberies, stealing items such as a watch, a cell
phone and a blackberry.
In some instances, the robbery victims were people
who refused to join their gang.
In many cases, the Wave Gang would target younger
males, ages 13 and 14, and surround them in large groups,
intimidating and robbing them.
District Attorney Hynes said, “Fear among the community was
heightened due to the targeted acts of violence committed by
these two gangs in Brownsville.
The gangs had a longstanding feud over territory,
leading to wanton and reckless behavior where kids would
shoot at each other because they were in the wrong gang or
on the wrong street or in front of the wrong building.
My Gang Bureau, Major Narcotics Bureau and Trial
Bureau Orange Zone did an excellent job in investigating and
taking down these two dangerous gangs.
I would like to thank the NYC Department of
Corrections, the Special Narcotics Prosecutor’s Office and
the NYPD for their
cooperation, including the 73rd Precinct Patrol
Unit, the Detective Squad, the Housing Unit, the Narcotics
Unit and the Gang Unit, who all worked together to make
these arrests.”
NYC Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said, “Gang members
made the mistake of boasting about their shootings on
Twitter which NYPD officers used to help establish their
complicity in murder and other crimes. I want to commend the
officers, detectives and the outstanding support from the
prosecutors in District Attorney Hynes’s office in this
important case.”
The NYC Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan
offered significant assistance in the case.
NYC Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan said,
“Members of these gangs settled their disputes with bullets.
Violence overflowed into their community. Most disturbing is
that the young people carried out acts of retribution in
public places, injuring many innocent bystanders. This case
is a good example of how all available law enforcement
resources can be pooled and reduce the scourge of gang
violence. We need to do as much as we can to keep guns out
of the hands of organizations like these.”
The two gangs allegedly committed targeted acts of violence
against each other and against innocent victims as they
wreaked havoc in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn.
The defendants, ranging in age from 15 to 21, were
arrested on January 17, 2012 and January 18, 2012.
Some defendants are still at large.
Thirty-five guns were seized in the takedown.
The sentences that the defendants face range from
one-and-a-third to four years for the lesser crimes to up to
25 years to life in prison for murder and conspiracy to
murder.
Community leaders hailed the efforts of the law enforcement
agencies in taking dangerous gang members off the streets,
stressing that residents in Brownsville now feel safer
stepping outside their homes and going to school, work and
shopping for groceries.
An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a
defendant’s guilt.
“Operation Tidal Wave” was investigated by Chief James
Essig, Brooklyn North Patrol; Captain Joseph Gulotta from
the 73rd Precinct; Police Officers Anthony
Desposito and Nicholas Hatt from the 73rd
Precinct; Lieutenant Cliff Marshall and his detectives from
the Detective Squad; PSA 2 Captain Vincent Patti; and JRIP
(Juvenile Robbery Intervention Program) Lieutenant David
Glassberg. Led
by Chief Joseph Ponzi, the District Attorney’s Detective
Investigators also played an instrumental part in the
takedown. The
Detective Investigators included Greg DeBoer; Richie Ortega;
William Petty; Jerry Scanlon; and Joseph Piraino. The
detectives from the Special Narcotics Prosecutor’s Office
who cooperated in the investigation were Special Narcotics
Prosecutor Bridget Brennan; Steven Goldstein; Joseph
Tesoriero; Nigel Farinha; and Susan Lanzatella.
In addition, Captain Walter Ward and his detectives
from the DA’s Squad played a significant role in the
investigation and takedown.
The cases are being prosecuted by Deanna Rodriguez, Chief of
the Gang Bureau; Ed Carroll, Executive Assistant District
Attorney in the Gang Bureau; Assistant District Attorney
Corey Shoock in Gang Bureau; Marc Fliedner, Chief of the
Major Narcotics Investigations Bureau; Assistant District
Attorney Rajeev Garg from the Major Narcotics Investigations
Bureau; Caryn Stepner, Executive Assistant District Attorney
from the Trial Bureau Orange Zone; and Samantha Magnani,
Bureau Chief of the Trial Bureau Orange Zone.
Contact:
Sandy Silverstein
(718) 250-2300
02
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY CHARLES J.
HYNES ANNOUNCES ARREST OF FIVE CITY EMPLOYEES WHO
UNDERREPORTED THEIR INCOME TO U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
DEFENDANTS RECEIVED SECTION 8 HOUSING
ASSISTANCE AND ILLEGALLY COLLECTED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN
SUBSIDIES
Brooklyn, January 12, 2012 – Kings County
District Attorney Charles J. Hynes today announced the
arrest of five city employees who underreported their income
to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD). It
enabled them to receive Section 8 housing assistance and
thousands of dollars in federal subsidies.
Section 8 is a federal housing program which provides
housing assistance to low income renters and homeowners.
Three defendants worked for the Board of Education,
one was a Corrections Officer, and the other defendant was a
NYPD School Safety Officer.
The investigation, which began in July 2011, was
conducted by the District Attorney’s Squad, HUD Special
Agents and the Department of Investigation.
District Attorney Hynes said, “Section 8 vouchers are
designated for low income families who really need
assistance. It
is unfortunate that greedy individuals would try to cheat
the government out of money that they are not qualified for,
taking the money away from needy families.
This fraudulent activity will not be tolerated.”
NYC Department of Investigation Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn
said, “Housing fraud is a type of corruption that blocks
valuable funds from making it to needy New Yorkers and
stopping this crime is among one of DOI's main initiatives.
We were pleased to assist our law enforcement partners to
expose and stop housing fraud involving the City Correction
Officer who was arrested today
Denise Colon, a NYC Corrections Officer, is charged
with illegally collecting $27, 212 from November 2006 to
November 2010.
Varne Turner, a NYPD School Safety Officer, is charged with
illegally collecting $35,560 from February 2007 to June
2010. Bruno
Harry, Sr. and his daughters Suyapa Harry and Eva Harry all
lived together and worked for the Board of Education.
They are charged with illegally collecting
$35,512 from
September 2008 to September 2010.
All five defendants are charged with Grand Larceny in
the Third Degree, Falsifying Business Records in the First
Degree, Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the Second
Degree and Issuing a False Financial Statement.
If convicted, each defendant could face a maximum of
seven years in prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Lawrence Oh, Bureau
Chief in the Rackets Division.
Michael Vecchione is Chief of the Rackets Division.
Contact:
Sandy Silverstein
(718) 250-2300
01
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY CHARLES J.
HYNES ANNOUNCES DOCUMENTARY FILM ON GUN VIOLENCE CREATED BY
DA’S YCP PROGRAM WILL BE SCREENED AT NYC INDEPENDENT FILM
FESTIVAL
Brooklyn, January 5, 2012 – Kings County District
Attorney Charles J. Hynes announced today that “Charge it to
the Game”, a documentary film created by the District
Attorney’s YCP (Youth and Congregations in Partnership)
program, will be screened at the NYC Downtown Feature Film
Festival on Monday, February 20 at 2:00 PM at the Duo
Multicultural Arts Center, at 62 East 4th Street
in Manhattan.
The film, selected by the Film Festival from many entries,
addresses the effects of gun violence in Brooklyn,
especially among young people.
Directed by Joseph
Rodman, the film opens with the striking statistic that
approximately every two days a life is taken by gun violence
in Brooklyn.
Charge it to the Game details the consequences of gun violence on the families
of both the shooter and the victim with interviews from
members of the community who have been affected.
Funded by the Robin Hood Foundation, the film also
examines what can be done to curb this problem.&
“It is very important that we as a community memorialize the
victims of gun violence and urge others to address this
tragedy,” said DA Hynes.
“We must do more to remove guns – the instruments of
death in Brooklyn – from the streets by whatever lawful
means possible.
I am proud that this film was selected to be screened at the
NYC Film Festival so that more people can understand the
depth of the problem of gun violence.
Hopefully this will encourage people to take action
and help us get guns off the streets.”
Youth gun violence is a major problem in the United
States and and in Brooklyn. Nearly 30 percent of all
homicide offenders are between the ages of 17 and 24.
The film has been shown all across Brooklyn at schools,
churches and community centers.
YCP is a community-based intervention program,
promoting rehabilitation and the reduction of recidivism
among Brooklyn court involved and at-risk youth.
This objective is accomplished by providing
comprehensive services including mentoring and counseling,
and through collaborations with community partners.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Joan Gabbidon is
Executive Director of the YCP program.
Contact:
Sandy Silverstein
(718) 250-2300
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