East Meadow couple charged with tax and welfare fraud, DA says
Yvette Diaz-Juarez, of East Meadow, owned Raindrops Daycare in Brooklyn with her husband, Carlos Juarez. Credit: Nassau County District Attorney
An East Meadow couple has been accused of tax fraud for repeatedly failing to file income taxes on hundreds of thousands of dollars, the Nassau district attorney's office said Wednesday.
Yvette Diaz-Juarez, 49, and her husband, Carlos Juarez, 49, were arraigned Tuesday on repeated failure to file personal Income and earnings taxes, according to online court records. The two did not report their income from 2011 to 2013, avoiding paying more than $36,000 in taxes owed on their household income of more than $600,000 when both owned Raindrops Daycare in Brooklyn, prosecutors said.
Diaz-Juarez, now former co-owner of the day care business, was also charged with second-degree welfare fraud and second-degree grand larceny when she stole from Medicaid, prosecutors said. She underreported her household income and submitted false documentation to get $72,046.29 from the Nassau County Department of Social Services between June 2009 to December 2015, when her yearly gross income ranged from $47,463 to $234,671, putting her beyond Medicaid eligibility, officials said.
The couple spent the money on daily expenses such as their mortgage, car payment and trips to Las Vegas and Florida, prosecutors said.
“As these defendants earned a comfortable income from their Brooklyn daycare business, they allegedly defrauded the taxpayers by claiming public assistance to which they were not entitled,” District Attorney Madeline Singas said in a news release. “Medicaid funds lifesaving medical care for those in need, and we have no tolerance for anyone who steals undeserved benefits from government programs that provide a safety net.”
The pair surrendered Monday, authorities said, and were arraigned Tuesday. Diaz-Juarez was released with certain conditions, while her husband was released under his own recognizance. They were represented by the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County, which has a policy of not commenting during the arraignment stage of cases. The couple could not be reached for comment Wednesday night.
The case had been referred by the Nassau County Department of Social Services to the district attorney's office in December.
Carlos Juarez, of East Meadow, was also charged. Credit: Nassau County District Attorney
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said her administration pledges to recover "every taxpayer dollar lost through fraud and abuse."
Sarra Sounds Off Ep 36: Champs crowned in lax and flag football On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," Gregg talks with Michael Sicoli and Tess Ferguson about county champs crowned in boys and girls lacrosse, and Jared Valuzzi reports on the Long Island flag football championship.
Sarra Sounds Off Ep 36: Champs crowned in lax and flag football On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," Gregg talks with Michael Sicoli and Tess Ferguson about county champs crowned in boys and girls lacrosse, and Jared Valuzzi reports on the Long Island flag football championship.
