3 Upstate New York Women Accused Of Welfare Fraud In HV

Three Upstate New York women are accused of welfare fraud in the Hudson Valley.

On Thursday, the Sullivan County Welfare Fraud Task Force announced three arrests.

Lisa Keitt, 26, of Liberty, was arrested and charged with Theft of Services, a Class A misdemeanor, and Offering a False Instrument in the 1st Degree, a Class E felony.

Officials allege Keitt stole services totaling $505.74 in Medicaid transportation benefits. On nine dates, Keitt obtained a medical transportation ride by deception to two separate medical facilities to which she was not a client, or the establishment was not in operation, officials note.

"For three of the medical transportation trips, Keitt signed trip tickets, creating false instruments that were filed with the Sullivan County Department of Social Services. These were Medical Assistance Benefits for alleged medical appointments that never occurred and to which Keitt was not otherwise entitled," Sullivan County Welfare Fraud Task Force stated.

Toni L. McNamara, 51, of Liberty, was arrested and charged with Grand Larceny in the 3rd Degree, a Class D felony, and Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the 1st Degree, a Class E felony.

Officials allege McNamara stole $42,077 in Social Security survivor benefits for her granddaughter.

"It is alleged that McNamara claimed that William A. Vanloan, who passed away March 17, 2018, was the deceased biological father to her granddaughter when she knew that her son, Mario Molino Jr., was the actual biological father. McNamara was aware of this well before she had applied for the benefit and helped Molino pay for a genetic marker test in September 2010, which proved Molino was in fact the biological father," Sullivan County Welfare Fraud Task Force said.

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Danielle J. Lacek, 40, of Liberty, was arrested and charged with Grand Larceny in the 4th Degree, a Class E felony.

Lacek is accused of stealing $1,196 in SNAP benefits from the Sullivan County Department of Social Services by failing to disclose that she was in receipt of Unemployment Insurance Benefits between March 30, 2020, and December 31, 2020, during which she was also collecting SNAP benefits.

All three were processed and released on an appearance ticket pending a future court date in the Town of Liberty Court.

The New York State Department of Financial Services Fraud Bureau and the United States Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General helped the Sullivan County Welfare Fraud Task Force in some of their investigations.