More than 100 New York City police officers and firefighters were charged Tuesday with social security disability fraud in an alleged scam going back decades.
New York prosecutors say those scams range from physical and mental disability claims to, in recent years, claims of post-traumatic stress disorder due to the 9/11 terror attacks. (Via Fox News)
“Officials tell us these rescue workers claimed that they became severely mentally disabled and were entitled to social security disability benefits of up to $50,000 a year in taxpayer benefits.” (Via WNBC)
According to The Christian Science Monitor, the 205-count indictment charges 102 defendants of being involved with the scam and an additional four men of acting as the plan's overseers.
George Stephanopoulos: “That’s what leads to these massive numbers. They represented a lot of people.”
Brian Ross: “Exactly. A handful of crooked lawyers and doctors who know the system have advised these police officers and former firemen how to game the system.” (Via ABC)
Prosecutors claim they have recorded phone calls of suspects being coached on how to act in front of a medical board. And they say at a time when some suspects claimed they couldn’t leave their homes, photos show them on cruises, jet skiing and doing mixed martial arts. (Via WCBS)
Investigators also say some of the suspects who claimed to be impacted by their experiences on 9/11 weren’t actually at Ground Zero the day of the attacks. (Via WNBC)
According to the district attorney, the investigation is still ongoing and the scam could involve as many as 1,000 people.
