An arrest or investigation in New York involving any type of fraud or theft is a concerning one. When investigators, detectives or Assistant District Attorneys want to “speak” with you or have some “questions,” your defenses should automatically be raised. Whether your first step is reaching out to a criminal lawyer or not, when the state or federal government is the potential victim of a larceny crime remember that identifying your defense as soon as possible may be the best way to protect yourself going forward from felony Welfare Fraud, Grand Larceny, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, Forgery and Offering a False Instrument for Filing arrests, indictments or convictions.
In a scenario that repeats itself routinely throughout New York City, individuals who are alleged to wrongfully receive certain benefits from New York City and New York State – unemployment benefits, Medicaid or food stamps – may not be contact by criminal law enforcement first, but by investigators from the Bureau of Fraud Investigation of the New York City Human Resources Administration (250 Church Street 3rd Floor). Make no mistake. What you say to these investigators can and will be used against you when fraud investigators share their findings with prosecutors for the purpose of commencing a criminal case.
Fortunately for clients of Saland Law PC, our clients took the proper steps while allowing our New York Welfare Fraud attorneys to guide them through the process. After being contacted twice by investigators from the Bureau of Fraud Investigation and after being visited at home by the same, our clients unfortunately did not retain counsel or respond to investigators. Even more concerning, investigators advised our clients’ initial attorney (a non-criminal lawyer and associate of the clients), that the next step was referring the alleged seven year $91,000 Medicaid and food stamp fraud to New York prosecutors. Not a criminal defense attorney, the initial counsel contacted the Grand Larceny defense lawyers at Saland Law PC to assist the clients.
Through numerous meetings and conferences, Saland Law PC was able to walk back and prevent the investigators from sending the case over to the District Attorney’s Office. As a preliminary matter, our clients avoided an arrest and potential indictment for Welfare Fraud in the Second Degree (New York Penal Law 158.20), Grand Larceny in the Second Degree (New York Penal Law 155.40), Forgery in the Second Degree (New York Pena Law 170.10), Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree (New York Penal Law 175.35) and other crimes. If convicted, the possible punishment was extreme and included up to five to fifteen years in prison for the Welfare Fraud and Grand Larceny. Just slightly less serious than these “C” felonies, Forgery in the Second Degree and Offering a False Instrument for Filing are “D” and “E” felonies punishable by up to two and one third to seven and one and one third to four years in prison respectively. Beyond avoiding the time, costs and the “great unknown” of criminal prosecution, the criminal defense attorneys at Saland Law PC convinced supervising investigators from NYC Human Resources Administration to reduce the alleged fraud amount down from $91,000 to $70,000. Further, the clients entered into an agreement stipulating that as long as payment was made over roughly ten years (as opposed to all re-payment up front), all matters would be resolved administratively and put an end to the case.
While Saland Law PC’s clients were certainly satisfied, each case is unique. Can the New York criminal lawyers and former Manhattan prosecutors at Saland Law PC guarantee you the same result in your Welfare Fraud investigation or Grand Larceny arrest? The answer is “no.” Each case is unique and past results in no way guarantee future outcomes. However, there is one thing our lawyers do guarantee. Saland Law PC guarantees the same level of diligence and attention that each client deserves to best protect their rights, liberty and future.
Saland Law PC is a New York criminal defense firm located in lower Manhattan. The New York criminal defense attorneys at Saland Law PC represent clients in all criminal matters an related investigations throughout New York City and the surrounding region.
To educate yourself about New York white collar crimes, theft offenses and Welfare Fraud, review the extensive materials found on here or follow the highlighted links located above and below. For additional information about Grand Larceny, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, other larceny criminal statues, legal decisions and cases in the news please read through New-York-Lawyers.org and NewYorkTheftAndLarcenyLawyers.Com. Further, our blogs at NewYorkCriminalLawyerBlog.Com and NewYorkTheftAndLarcenyLawyersBlog.Com are tremendous resources as well.