DA: Six Nassau residents charged in benefits fraud

Six Nassau County residents were charged with falsely receiving more than $239,000 in workers' compensation payments and other benefits, Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice's office said Tuesday.

One defendant was a Metropolitan Transportation Authority engineer, while another defendant ran a limousine business in violation of receiving disability and workers' compensation payments, Rice said.

"When these shameless thieves defraud programs like Social Security and workers' comp, they defraud every taxpayer in this state," Rice said Tuesday in a statement.

"Workers' compensation insurance is protection against physical and financial harm, not a system to be gamed for personal enrichment," chair Robert Beloten of the Workers' Compensation Board said in the statement.

Among those charged is Anthony DiBenedetto, 49, of Massapequa. DiBenedetto filed for workers' compensation after he sustained an injury to his neck in 2002 while delivering milk for Beyer Farms, according to the DA.

Rice said an investigation revealed that DiBenedetto was the owner of Legal Limousines Inc. of Lindenhurst, and that he collected more than $30,000 in workers' compensation benefits and more than $140,000 for himself and his family while running the limo business.

He was arraigned last Thursday on charges of second-degree and third-degree grand larceny, third-degree insurance fraud, offering a false instrument for filing, falsifying business records and penalties for fraudulent act. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

"The district attorney's facts are distorted and when the true facts come to light, Mr. DiBenedetto will be completely exonerated," said his lawyer, Michael Finkelstein of Garden City.

Jennifer McGill, 30, of Farmingdale, was charged with submitting doctored invoices for damage done to her front lawn in April 2010 by a Nassau County snow plow, according to Rice's office.

She was charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument, attempted petty larceny and offering a false instrument for filing. If convicted, she and faces up to 7 years in prison.

A person who answered the phone at the office of her lawyer, James Camarata of Oyster Bay, said Camarata would have no comment.

A 49-year-old Freeport woman who cashed more than $3,700 of her deceased father's workers' compensation checks was charged with third-degree grand larceny, third-degree insurance fraud, criminal possession of a forged instrument and falsifying business records. If convicted, she faces up to 7 years in prison, according to the district attorney.

The woman, who is being represented by Legal Aid, could not be reached for comment.

A Levittown woman, 61, injured her back in 1994 while working as a data entry clerk and collected $215 a week in workers' compensation, according to the district attorney.

In 2006, she began working as a baby-sitter and listed references as far back as 1999, the DA said, and she collected more than $33,700 in benefits. The woman, whose lawyer could not be reached, was charged with third-degree grand larceny, third-degree insurance fraud, offering a false instrument for filing, falsifying business records and penalties for fraudulent acts. If convicted, she faces up to 7 years in prison.

A Glen Cove man, 43, injured his shoulder while working as a HVAC engineer for the MTA in September 2009. He was cleared to return to work for restricted duty, but the MTA had no available positions, the DA said. The man began working at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Hospital in January 2008 as a watch engineer, and failed to notify MTA about his return to work, according to the DA.

He collected more than $30,000 in benefits and is charged with third-degree grand larceny, third-degree insurance fraud, offering a false instrument for filing and penalties for fraudulent acts. If convicted, he faces up to 7 years in prison.

A call placed to his lawyer, Bill Jaye of Carle Place, was not returned.

A Selden man, 40, submitted two false insurance certificates to a contractor claiming he had workers' compensation insurance, the DA said. The contractor will now be billed $4,000 for hiring an uninsured contactor. The man is charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument, falsifying business records and penalties for fraudulent acts. If convicted, he faces up to 7 years in prison.

His lawyer could not be reached Tuesday.