80 From N.Y. Police and Fire Forces Are Charged in Social Security Fraud

[BeyondGeography]

Source: NYT

Eighty retired New York City police officers and firefighters were charged on Tuesday in one of the largest Social Security disability frauds ever, a sprawling decades-long scheme in which false mental disability claims by as many as 1,000 people cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, according to court papers.

Scores of those charged in the case essentially stole in plain sight, according to a 205-count indictment and a bail letter, collecting between $30,000 and $50,000 a year based on fabricated claims that they were completely incapacitated by serious psychiatric disorders. Many said that their actions in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were responsible for their psychiatric conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety or depression.

But their Facebook pages and other websites, according to the court papers, tell a starkly different story. The bail letter includes photographs culled from the Internet that show one riding a jet ski and others working at jobs ranging from helicopter pilot to martial arts instructor. One is shown fishing off the coast of Costa Rica and another sitting astride a motorcycle, while another appeared in a television news story selling cannoli at the Feast of San Gennaro on Mulberry Street in Manhattan.

...The indictment, brought by the office of the Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus R. Vance Jr., charges a total of 106 people, four of whom are accused of running the scheme since 1988. That group includes an 83-year-old lawyer who has worked as an F.B.I. agent and a prosecutor, an 89-year-old pension consultant and a 61-year-old official of the union that represents New York City police detectives, according to the bail letter.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/08/nyregion/retired-new-york-officers-and-firefighters-charged-in-social-security-scheme.html?hp&_r=0

[JNelson6563]

1. Throw the book at them.

[cosmicone]

2. IOKIYAC n/t

[BeyondGeography]

3. Screw them anyway

A rip-off is a rip-off, and people with legitimate disabilities will be penalized for their behavior.

[adirondacker]

9. "people with legitimate disabilities will be penalized for their behavior"

Precisely!

[blackspade]

4. They will be let off the hook.

Well the cops will anyway...

[warrant46]

19. I have seen this before

A slap on the wrist coming (maybe)

[RobinA]

5. As Someone

who works with the seriously mentally ill and at times has a hand in getting them benfits, I cannot TELL you how much I hate this. It just gives more ammo to the wingers, who will now see every person seeking SSD as a potential helicopter pilot. AAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!

[mountain grammy]

6. Shame.. Americans love to throw around the word "hero" until it's meaningless

then there's this.

[packman]

7. Investigate all claims like this

When I got ready to retire, I sat in a room with dozens of people to listen to various retirement plans. A guy got up - looked like in his early 40's- and inquired about disability retirement from an injury he got at his present position in the county. A man sitting next to me told me he knew the guy and that he was already collecting a disability check from the Washington D.C. fire department from an injury and collecting SS in addition.
Love to monitor the activity on Facebook today. Picture deletions must be at an all time hight.

[dixiegrrrrl]

12. Why would anyone be stupid enough

to post pictures of "non-disability" behavior all over the media?
Thankfully these guys did, but still, if they are smart enough to gothru the disability process,
they should be smart enough to fake it better.

wonder if anyone is looking at their doctors?

[QuestForSense]

14. wonder if anyone is looking at their doctors?

That is the $64,000 question! I assume most doctors were covering their own asses from the start, but there are dummies in every profession. My own doctor worked for an insurance company examining disability claims when he was a resident. He told me that 85% of all disability claims were fraudulent, which is why they put disabled people who are filing legitimately through the mill. I was shocked by that extremely high percentage and still am.

[TxVietVet]

8. Another reason I don't like cops.

Now, all these clowns were supposed to be working for us, the citizens of the community. They are accused of robbing us. How low can you go? What would be a real kick in the ass would that we would have to pay for their defense. Always gaming the system that is there to help.

[jsr]

10. Tip of the iceberg

[Plucketeer]

11. I fear you're probably correct..... nt

[Hestia]

13. So...let me get this straight...if you are disabled you can't go fishing or ride a jet ski? Are you

supposed to just sit curled up in a corner, slobbering and sobbing, and never leaving the house? Is there is something in the disability payments that say you cannot have any fun whatsoever? WTFH?

[sendero]

20. If you are well enough to Jet Ski.

..... you are well enough to work.

[alcibiades_mystery]

15. Gives a whole new meaning to "Leave the gun, take the cannoli"

[mikehiggins]

16. My experience

I met a coworker at Columbia Presbyterian possibly thirty five years ago and learned he was being treated for depression. So far as I know he is still alive and still collecting. Knowing me well he suggested I do the same (lots of folks thought I was crazy ;^) ) but it seemed dubious to me. Over the years I encountered quite a few people in the construction line who were similarly afflicted--apparently the Catch 22 didn't really apply--and it always seemed an open question if the disability was real or the result of friendly advice such as I was given.

The real shame of this includes the fact that it gives support to the right wing claim ALL people being assisted are frauds. Things like this give them more ammo to cut or eliminate such programs totally. Disgusting.

[maindawg]

17. I had a childhood friend

who worked at NYFD.He is my age,54 and I see on FB that he lives in N Carolina,and has a pretty sweet boat. He is retired I gather and posts teabag type of bullshit all the time.
Now its pretty strange since he was obviously the beneficiary of a good union job, but if hes one of these idiots, then he is a special kind of idiot after all.
I know a few people on disability. Some are pathetic invalids. Some, I just dont get what is supposed to be wrong with them.

[BeyondGeography]

18. It's a bit of a NY tradition I'm afraid

http://www.newsday.com/long-island/joseph-rutigliano-draws-8-years-in-lirr-disability-fraud-case-1.6650842

[maindawg]

23. I dont want to insinuate

that there isnt something wrong with these folks. Many disabilities can be un seen. Mental disability is probably the worst form of disability. Just sayin.

[kickysnana]

21. Reminder: Senator McCain is classified 100% disabled. I guess it depends on who you know. n/t

[Munificence]

22. I have a Friend

in California that was speeding on his motorcycle, wrecked and hurt himself fairly badly. Something like 17 different bones were broken and it really was an 18 month recovery.

Some may correct me here, but he told me that he gets 80% disability based on his last two years of work, which is a bit of money and I was surprised when I heard him say how much it actually was.

I can go to his face book page and watch videos of him doing wheelies on his racing 4-wheeler.

Dude was in bad shape for 18 months or so but is fine now, but he is after-all 34 and retired for the rest of his life via disability.