Merrick Couple Charged With Public Assistance Fraud

A Merrick couple was charged with public assistance fraud, according to the district attorney's office. 

Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced Thursday that 12 people were arrested and charged for stealing more than a combined $370,000 in Medicaid, food stamps, and other taxpayer-funded public assistance benefits.

The arrests were the result of joint investigations by the District Attorney’s Public Assistance Fraud Unit and the Nassau County Department of Social Services Special Investigations Unit.

Jeffrey and Rosemarie Lovelidge were arrested Nov. 13, 2012 and charged with second-degree grand larceny, second-degree welfare fraud and first-degree offering a false instrument for filing.  Rice said that between August 2002 and May 2012, the Lovelidges stole more than $117,000 in Medicaid benefits by failing to report Jeffrey Lovelidge’s ownership of two restoration and cleaning businesses, as well as yearly deposits into their personal bank accounts of between $46,000 and $300,000. They face up to 15 years in prison if convicted and are due back in court June 20. 

“Public assistance programs are designed to provide basic necessities to the less fortunate, not to scam artists who think nothing of padding their own wallets on the backs of the taxpayer,” Rice said. “Hiding your success to abuse a program like Medicaid is deplorable, and my office will continue to collaborate with our fellow agencies to not only arrest these criminals, but to secure the repayment of every stolen dollar.”

“Our investigations unit continues to work tirelessly to root out waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars,”County Executive Edward Mangano said. “These arrests should serve as further warning that anyone who cheats our taxpayers will be apprehended and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”