Welfare Fraud Investigation Leads to Multiple Arrests

LIVINGSTON COUNTY — A recent crackdown on welfare fraud has led to multiple arrests.

According to a press release from the Livingston County Sheriff Thomas Dougherty an investigation in conjunction with District Attorney Greg McCaffery, and Department of Social Services Commissioner Diane Deane report numerous people were charged for defrauding the Social Services system.

The release states that back in January, a meeting was held at the Department of Social Services where a strong commitment was made between the involved agencies to crackdown on people allegedly abusing the welfare system. Since this meeting there have been 10 arrests made by Sheriff’s Investigators.

The cases all revolve around some type of abuse of the welfare system varying from falsifying applications, to identity theft, to the theft of public assistance checks. The total dollar amount of overpayments of these investigations is well over $12,000.

If you have any information regarding welfare recipients fraudulently collecting welfare benefits, please call the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office at 585.243.7100.

The Sheriff’s Office, the District Attorneys Office and the Department of Social Services will continue to aggressively investigate, arrest and prosecute those who are defrauding the taxpayers.

The following people have been arrested after investigation of the allegations:
David W. Taylor, Criminal Use of a Public Benefit Card 2nd.
Brenda K. West, Identity Theft 3rd.
Robert J. Hyde, Criminal Use of a Public Benefit Card 2nd.
Kathryn L. Smith, Identity Theft 3rd.
James L. Sullivan, Welfare Fraud 4th, Grand Larceny 4th.
Timothy A. Dieffenbacher, Petit Larceny.
Julie E. Bennett, Welfare Fraud 4th, Grand Larceny 4th.
Mellissa J. Johnson, Welfare Fraud 5th, Petit Larceny.
Christine A. Veaunt, Welfare Fraud 4th.
Mindy M. Rolfe, Identity Theft 3rd.