Crime & Safety

Crimes Nearby: $282K Medicaid Scam

Nine charged in Medicaid scam in Plainview, two men charged with robbery in Farmingdale, drunk driving accident in Huntington and other crimes in neighboring towns.

 

Plainview

A Plainview couple were among nine people charged with stealing more than $282,000 in bogus 

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Byung Jun, 42, and Myung Hee Jun, 43, of Plainview, face felony charges of  grand larceny, welfare fraud and filing falsified documents.

Between January 2006 and August 2009, the defendants stole more than $25,000 in undeserved Medicaid benefits by claiming on paperwork to only earn $650 per week, the D.A.'s office said. The defendants did not disclose annual deposits into personal bank accounts of between $73,000 and $175,000, as well as their ownership of a Hauppauge nail salon.

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Both face up to seven years in prison if convicted. Seven other Nassau residents face similar charges.

Nassau County District Attorney said the sweep was the result of joint investigations by the D.A’s Public Assistance Fraud Unit and the Nassau County Department of Social Services Special Investigations Unit.

Since 2007, the District Attorney’s Office has uncovered more than $3.4 million in stolen benefits and returned more than $2.1 million to the taxpayer, Rice said.

“Medicaid is designed to provide much-needed healthcare to our society’s most vulnerable members, not to criminals who think nothing of placing their financial burdens on the backs of the taxpayer,” said Rice, adding her office "will continue to find and arrest the scam artists who plague these essential programs."

Medicaid provides free public health insurance to more than 40 million low-income individuals nationwide. It is funded jointly by federal, state, and county governments.

 issued a county-wide warning Thursday, describing a deceptive technique being used to prey upon local seniors.

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Two incidents have occurred in the last few days in which people posing as utility home repair workers have lured unsuspecting seniors away from their open doors or enticed them to other areas of their home while an accomplice enters in search of valuables.

The pattern began on Dec. 13 in Massapequa Park, where, police say, an 80-year-old man was decorating his home when he was approached by a male who said he worked for the power company and that they would be working in his yard. The resident was lured into the rear yard and later discovered jewelry missing from an upstairs bedroom.

The second incident occurred in Jericho the next day when an 84-year-old
man answered a knock on his door and was asked if he wanted his gutters cleaned. Police said the subject lured the homeowner into the kitchen while a second subject apparently entered the home and went upstairs.

The homeowner became suspicious and when he told the subject that he was calling the police, the second subject came down the stairs and both subjects left the home and fled the scene in a white van. There was no reported loss.

Nassau County residents are urged to dial 911 when they encounter suspicious persons and/or vehicles.

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Five people manage to distract a Plainview jeweler and made off with an undetermined amount of jewelry Thursday afternoon, Nassau Police said.

Nassau detectives said five people entered  on Manetto Hill Road near Old Country Road Thursday about 2:45 p.m. and managed to remove assorted jewelry from several display cases.

Detectives said the heist began as two men asked the owner to look at earrings and, in the process, distracted the jeweler. At the same time, three women whose faces were covered in scarves unlocked the display cases and removed assorted jewelry, police said.

All five then bolted from the scene in a light blue Dodge Caravan with an extended roof top, fleeing westbound on Old Country Road. The Caravan had been parked in the jewelry store's parking lot during the heist, and police said two other people were seen inside the van.

No injuries were reported. The value of the jewelry had not been determined.

Detectives ask anyone with information about this crime to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous, police said.

 

Farmingdale

Two men have been arrested and charged with robbery in connection with an 

According to Nassau County police, Jordan Dissis, 18, of 355 Rte 340, Spark Hill, N.Y. and Louis Bueno, 18, of 32 Hunters Lane, Huntington, approached a male on Main Street, pointed a handgun at his chest and demanded his property.

One stood behind the 33-year-old victim with a large Maglite flashlight and threatened to hit the victim if he did not cooperate, police said. According to reports, the victim complied and handed the subjects his wallet, which contained $12 cash and personal papers, a maroon Metro PCS cell phone and his Adidas backpack before Dissis and Bueno fled on foot

Bueno was arrested Sept. 15 and arraigned on Sept. 16 in the First District Court. Dissis was arraigned on Dec. 17 in First District Court.

 

Huntington

A Centerport man was arrested early Sunday for driving while intoxicated after an accident that seriously injured a passenger in his vehicle.

According to police, Richard Heiser, 31, was driving his 2005 Chevrolet truck eastbound on Jericho Turnpike in Huntington when he made a left turn onto Broadway, lost control of the vehicle and struck two utility poles at approximately 1 a.m.

Jennifer Todero, 34, the only passenger in Heiser’s vehicle, suffered a serious injury to her leg. Todero, of Centerport, was transported to Huntington Hospital, and then transferred to North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, where she was admitted in serious condition, according to police.

Heiser, was transported to Huntington Hospital with minor injuries, according to police.

Following an investigation by  detectives, Heiser was charged with Driving While Intoxicated, according to police. He is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip Sunday.

The vehicle was impounded for a safety check and the investigation is continuing, police say.

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Police are searching for a man who took a Structure watch from a Sears store located on Jericho Turnpike in Elwood.

An unidentified tall, black male wearing a red shirt placed a Structure watch in his pocket and left the store without paying for the item Nov. 28, at approximately 4 p.m., police say.

The subject was confronted by a Sears employee outside the store and was brought back into the store. Once inside, the subject fled on foot and created a disturbance inside the store. The watch was recovered at the scene, according to .

A cash reward is being offered for informaion leading to an arrest. Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call Crime Stoppersanonymously at 1-800-220-TIPS.

 

Massapequa

Customers  using a stolen credit card in the  store on Sunrise Highway were caught on tape last month, according to police who released their images on Monday.

The pictures show two men and a woman who police want to talk to in connection with the theft of a wallet on Nov. 10.

The credit card was taken between 12:40 p.m. and 1:20 p.m. and was used in the Sports Authority and a GameStop store on Sunrise Highway in Copiague.

Anyone with information on the suspects should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS (8477).  All calls will are confidential.


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