Crimes Nearby: Animal Neglect, LIRR Scams, Hit and Run

Farmingdale

A Farmingdale woman who was arrested by the FBI Thursday and accused of participating in a $1 billion disability scam for retiring LIRR workers was released on $750,000 bail Friday.

Maria Rusin was one of eight defendants who appeared in federal court in Manhattan yesterday. She was hospitalized after becoming ill during the bail hearing, an episode which prosecutors later said she faked, also claiming she gave misleading information about bank accounts and property overseas.

Rusin, 55, was the office manager of Peter Ajemian of Syosset, an orthopedist who is accused of helping more than 700 LIRR retirees get disability benefits from 1998 to 2008, according to the federal criminal complaint. Ajemian was employed at a Rockville Centre-based practice until his termination in late 2008. He currently operates a practice in Baldwin.

Merrick

A Bellmore man was arrested Wednesday on charges of animal neglect, Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said.

Jamie Flexer, 38, was arrested and charged with one count of failure to provide proper sustenance, a misdemeanor. 

On June 15, Flexer was evicted from the Bellmore home he shared with his ex-wife and had lived alone for three years. As part of their divorce, Flexer took custody of Graham, a 10-year-old labrador retriever, Rice said.

Following the eviction, Flexer's ex-wife returned to the home and saw that Flexer left Graham behind with no food or water and that the dog was completely dehydrated and severely underweight, Rice said. 

Flexer's ex-wife then contacted the DA's Animal Crimes Unit and took the dog to Mineola Animal Hospital. After an examination, the vet determined that the dog's emaciated condition was due to "chronic starvation." 
 
Graham is now in good health and is in custody of Second Chance Labrador Retriever Rescue.  

Northport

A Massapequa Park construction worker was killed in a hit and run crash in Fort Salonga early Friday, cops said.

Victor Schultz, 45, along with a co-worker, were loading a milling machine onto a trailer on Route 25A near the Sunken Meadow Parkway at 1:35 a.m.

A dark colored SUV traveling west on 25A struck Schultz and fled without stopping.

He was pronounced dead at the scene. The co-worker was not injured.

Wantagh

A Massapequa teen was among three people arrested for criminal possession of stolen property in Wantagh on Oct. 22, police said.  Carlos Nunez, 17, Rudolf Murrizi of Kew Gardens, Queens and a 16-year-old, whose name wasn't released because of his juvenile status, were arrested after being positively identified by a witness who saw three people run from a car after its alarm went off.  Police said they were carrying stolen property.