In recent weeks, police from the Hudson Valley arrested 20 people in connection with welfare fraud investigations.

On February 14, Reginald Jackson, 49, of Fallsburg was charged with the felony of filing a false instrument and two misdemeanor counts of theft of service. It's alleged that Jackson, a parolee, stole money by using Medicaid-funded medical transportation to and from his parole meetings.

On February 21, Melissa Wright, 49, of Kiamesha Lake was arrested for official misconduct. Wright, a 10-year employee of the Sullivan County Division of Health and Family Services, allegedly submitted false documents to the county in an attempt to conceal an inappropriate relationship that she was having with a client.

On February 28, Robert C. Blomkvist, 36, of Loch Sheldrake was charged with four counts of filing a false instrument, felonies and theft of service, a misdemeanor. Blomkvist, a parolee, stole $196.33 by using Medicaid-funded medical transportation to and from his parole meetings, police say.

On March 12, Serena Ledsome of Catskill, Amy Webb of Marlboro and Jacqueline Watt of Highland were all charged with welfare fraud and offering a false instrument for filing. In unrelated cases, the trio are accused of receiving a combined $7,267 in benefits they weren't entitled to.

On March 13, Falisha Lewis and Christopher Haight of Kingston were arrested for misuse of food stamps. It's alleged that Lewis, an inmate at the Ulster County Jail, gave Haight her SNAP benefits card for him to use to access SNAP benefits while she was incarcerated.

On March 19, Nicole Redding of Ellenville was charged with the welfare fraud and two counts of offering a false instrument for filing. Redding is accused of illegally receiving $2,098 in SNAP benefits by not reporting income from August 2017 through January 2018.

On March 22, Angel M. Rivera of Poughkeepsie was charged with welfare fraud. An investigation by the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office Detective Division, in conjunction with the Investigations Division of the Dutchess County Department of Community and Family Services, revealed that Rivera illegally obtained over $4,100 in SNAP benefits between June 2015 and May 2016 by concealing the fact that he had unreported income, police say.

On March 22, Diandra Schleede of Kingston was arrested for welfare fraud and 16 counts of offering a false instrument for filing. Schleede allegedly failed to report income from September 2016 to September 2017 and falsified Daycare authorization documents for payment. As a result, she received $2,181.10 in Daycare benefits and $3,535 in SNAP benefits, police say.

On March 23, Carl Phillips, an inmate at the Ulster County Jail, was charged with misuse of food stamps. It is alleged that Phillips provided his Electronic Benefit Transfer card to a friend to use to access SNAP benefits which were in Phillips name while Phillips was an inmate at the Ulster County Jail.

On March 23, Channell Tissiera-Swartz, 35, of Liberty was arrested on two counts of filing a false instrument and welfare fraud, felonies. Tissiera-Swartz is accused of stealing $5,864 in public assistance by failing to accurately report household income.

On March 27, Harry Phillips of Kerhonkson was arrested by the Ulster County Sheriff's Department and charged with misuse of food stamps benefits. It's alleged that Phillips used a SNAP Electronic Benefit Transfer card, which didn't belong to him, to access SNAP benefits he was not authorized to obtain, while the owner of the card was incarcerated at the Ulster County Jail.

On March 28, Donna F. Richardson, 54, of Bloomingburg was charged with welfare fraud and offering a false instrument for filing, felonies. Richardson stole $1,098 in public assistance benefits by failing to accurately report household income, police say.

On March 28, Jacob Beilman of Poughkeepsie was charged with welfare fraud and offering a false instrument for filing. Beilman filed an application with the Department of Social Services, which contained misleading information regarding his income, police say.

On March 29, Myrtle Davis of Poughkeepsie was charged with misuse of food stamps and petit larceny. Davis is accused of using a SNAP Electronic Benefit Transfer card which didn't belong to her.

On March 29, Mary Bicknell was arrested for welfare fraud and offering a false instrument for filing. Bicknell allegedly failed to report her income for over a year which resulted in her receiving $1,139.28 in Temporary Assistance benefits.

On April 1, Jennifer L. Keysaw, 39, of Liberty was arrested and charged with four felony counts of filing a false instrument and four misdemeanor counts of theft of service. It is alleged that Keysaw, a parolee, stole $208.26 by using Medicaid-funded medical transportation to and from her parole meetings.

On April 9, Taevion Roseberry of Kingston was charged with two counts of misdemeanor offering a false instrument for filing. It's alleged that Roseberry had submitted falsified documentation in regard to her housing to the Department of Social Services in February 2018.

On April 10, Christina Shultis of Kingston was arrested for welfare fraud. Shultis is accused of illegally receiving $821 in SNAP benefits by not reporting her correct household composition and income to the Department of Social Services.

All of the above arrests came from investigations by the Ulster County Sheriff's Office,  the Ulster County Department of Social Services Special Investigation Unit in conjunction with the Office of the Ulster County District Attorney, the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office and the Sullivan County Welfare Fraud Task Force.

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