Haredi Couple Arrested For Section 8, Food Stamps, Medicaid Fraud

Monsey couple holds mortgages on several million dollars in property.

Monsey couple with millions in mortgages charged with welfare fraud
BY STEVE LIEBERMAN • Journal News

A Monsey couple who hold mortgages on several million dollars in property was arrested today on charges of stealing $75,000 from federal rent, Medicaid and food stamp programs, Rockland authorities said.

Nathan and Mindy Misky are accused of stealing $26,000 from the Section 8 rent subsidy program in which they pretended to be tenants in a home they owned, as well as $49,000 in food stamps and Medicaid from February 2006 until April 2007, District Attorney Thomas Zugibe said.

The couple, who have 12 children and live at 73 W. Maple Ave., pleaded not guilty to one count each of third-degree grand larceny and third-degree welfare fraud, their lawyers said today.

Their bail was set at $50,000 each by Haverstraw Justice John K. Grant. They were being held in the county jail late this afternoon.

The charges carry sentences of 4 2/3 to 14 years in state prison. The couple also could face federal charges.

Nathan Misky, 52, and Mindy Misky, 49, received Section 8 rent subsidies vouchers after falsely stating they were tenants in their 4,000-square-foot house at 73 W. Maple Ave. appraised at $1.4 million during a mortgage refinancing in 2007, District Attorney Thomas Zugibe said.

The couple transferred ownership of the house to several holding companies and applied for Section 8 rent vouchers, which are reserved for low-income tenants, Zugibe said.

Zugibe said the investigation found that the couple also provided false information to government agencies for welfare benefits. They are accused of failing to report multiple bank accounts containing hundreds of thousands of dollars and upstate property in Rockland and Sullivan counties worth several million dollars, Zugibe said.

The couple was arrested as a result of an investigation by the Rockland District Attorney's Office-Sheriff's Department Special Investigations Unit and the U.S. Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General.

The Rockland Social Services Department Special Investigations Unit assisted.

Prosecutor Gary Lee Heavner said a judge froze the couple's assets, pending the prosecution.

Attorney John Edwards, who represents Mindy Misky, declined comment on the specific charges.

"This is a matter put before the courts by the DA and will be resolved by the courts," Edwards said. "It would be inappropriate for me or the DA to say anything more."

Nathan Misky's lawyer, David Goldstein, said the couple's financial prowess is being overstated by prosecutors. He also was critical that prosecutors didn't ask for his client to surrender, but arrested the Miskys at their home early in the morning.

"These are not wealthy people," Goldstein said. "Whatever houses they own are upside down - the mortgages are worth more than the house, like so many other people across the country."

[First Seen On Yeshiva World News; Hat Tip: Shaul.]

Comments

[steve]

http://forward.com/articles/110942/

“There are a lot of benefits of insulating oneself from the broader culture around us, as we do,” Zweibel told the Forward. “But one of the costs of insularity is perhaps a lack of appreciation of the importance of compliance with secular law. That is a message that is important for people to hear.”

[Curious]

What would they commit such major crimes, for so little money!

[Curious]

I meant to write - why would they commit such major crimes, for so little money!

[seymour]

got to admitte this is one hell of a week for the ultra orthodox communities.

[effie]

“But one of the costs of insularity is perhaps a lack of appreciation of the importance of compliance with secular law.

They'll learn to appreciate it in prison.

[JewishCynic]

It's not that there are haredi who steal.
Every community has some crooked members.

The question is how does the community react?

Are the crooks shunned or are they supported and the authorities accused of antisemitism.

In the case of this couple the only surprise is that the Rockland DA went after them. Bet the Feds forced him into it. (Interesting that they went before a Haverstraw judge not a Ramapo judge - Ramapo is controlled by the haredi/hassidim).

Ask yourself "how did this couple learn about section 8 etc?"
Bet the answer is that others in the community taught them - this kind of fraud is rampant in Monsey etc.

Go to the Pathmark in Monsey and see the well dressed ortho pay with food stamps then leave in their Caddy or Lexus (parked in the handicapped area of course).

I do give the Yeshiva World News cred for the "another case of chillul hashem" headline (rather than "another case of antisemites accusing yiddim").

[The Monsey Tzadik]

Almost any frum yid in this Penguins colony defrauds the government, the chiddush is the chutzpa that such rich people try to get poor people benefits.

They are accused of failing to report multiple bank accounts containing hundreds of thousands of dollars and upstate property in Rockland and Sullivan counties worth several million dollars , Zugibe said..

Wish they took Beheima leib Tropper from his yeshiva on 29 Maple Ave. This is one big crook.

[ah-pee-chorus]

seymour:

so right, one of worst weeks in memory. will it lead to introspection?

[Pure Sephardic]

Weird system we have, if you steal taxes you either end up working with Obama or in jail. If you're black and live in Harlem and get cought, you just pay it off and get away with it. Justice?

yes, it is wrong to steal fom the gov. and it is way worse how the gov steals from people like me, who are paying over 50% taxes to feed our illegal alliens.

I would assume everyone would agree that at some point, when the gov oversteps it's boundries, say, it takes 90% of your income and spends it on building bridges for turtles in Florida, and it will be moral to steal some of your own back.
Where the boundary is, is up for debate, I fell we are very close.

Please, if you are unemployed don't reply, as you are going to be forced to be biased.

[steve]

PS,

You can always move to Iran or another friendly country where the system is not so "weird".

[Pure Sephardic]

"You can always move to Iran or another friendly country where the system is not so "weird"."

That is quite a "weird" reply. If someone holds me up for my money, I must leave the country so as not to interfere with his work?

Why does everything have to be so extreme? No other country with fair tax laws besides Iran?

[steve]

PS,

Yes, that was an extreme reply. If you feel that there is another country with fairer tax laws then why don't you name that country, or better still, move there. I consider myself a Reagan Republican with conservative political views. I am vehemently opposed to the tax and spend policies of the liberal Democrats. Nevertheless, I love this country and I thank Hashem for giving us the luxury and sanctuary to live and prosper here during this galus. That is why I take exception to people like yourself who have prospered here and would never dream of moving to another country, and yet bemoan the "system". Warts and all, it is still the best "system" out there.

[Pure Sephardic]

Granted, you are right, and I thank God and this country for all they gave us. But my point is, that many people feel wronged and feel that they are being hijacked. The Syrian community at large, were very wealthy even in Syria, and never payed much taxes there. As Einstein said, income taxes are the hardest things to explain, and people coming from places where no such thing existed find it hard to digest. Not excusing them but understaning.

The best out there does not make this system good, and you know as well as I do, that even though there are better systems out there, moving to another country is always hard. I was born and bred here and to leave is to start from scratch. But if I were able to choose where to have started in the first place, it wouldn't be here, at least not now, a century ago, yes.

[steve]

The Syrian community at large, were very wealthy even in Syria, and never payed much taxes there.

They would never have left Syria if they had it so good there. Don't point to the Israeli conflict as the reason there are hardly any Jews left over there. The mass emigration started in the 19th century, long before the establishment of the State.

As for your kvetching about paying high taxes, maybe we should campaign harder come next election. Or perhaps, lobby the fence-sitting Senators and Congressmen to fight against any more tax increases. I agree that higher taxes are poison to an already depressed economy. Nevertheless, I do not fault the electoral system or badmouth this great country, or condone any form of tax evasion.

[Hometown Postville]

This just makes me sick. Living in a 4000 sq ft home worth 1.4 mil, 12 kids or not, does not make one destitute unless of course you don't have enough income to make the payments. Making that choice despite the fact sounds more like not living within your means. Is it all about "show?" Wish I had a few million $ properties to sell of to bail myself out!

[Pure Sephardic]

My family like you said left before, in the 1910s and came to the USA via the far east. The reason they left was indeed because of fear and fighting with the local arabs. Two of my great uncles were murdered in their shops, in Allepo. True the action started in 1948 but there never was piece and there was always constant fear with no freedom.

And yes we should campaign harder, though it is hard to win over candidates who use illegal methods, and neither do I condone any form of tax evasion, but I can understand these people. Ben Haim for example, is super rich from his own legal business, and was paying millions in taxes after all the mess. He was not getting section 8 and not living here for free. Us jews don't worship our leaders, we know they are human, and should be treated as such.

[TheSadducee]

I think JewishCynic raises a very good point - this sort of fraud strikes me at least as being quite complicated and not the sort of thing that some ultra-orthodox people would just stumble across. How did these people find out about this? Are there financial advisers etc in the ultra-orthodox communities assisting them in this sort of stuff?

[shmuel]

...failing to report "multiple bank accounts containing hundreds of thousands of dollars and upstate property in Rockland and Sullivan counties worth several million dollars, Zugibe said."

"These are not wealthy people," Goldstein said.

[Dorian]

.."Every community has some crooked members.
The question is how does the community react?..."

They wont..at least not the way we would like them to..like having a huge charedi crowd with banners saying :"Cut out the rotten apples from the Charedi community.."..
Lèèèèèè`!
Oh, there is a lot of action though; others who are just as rotten or even half as much will do anything in their power not to get caught. They'll be damned to put the spotlight on themselves with public actions. They will throw out a lot of red herrings and lament in Yom Kippur-voices . The majority of good charedim are the real victims here because they will get caught as usual between their own thoughts and what the written laws tells them to do or not. And the Rabbi's will them them so.

But what can we expect from people who mostly have more than 10 kids (..), where the husband doesn't work but sit's in yeshive. Who's wife will never be able to support a whole family even with a fulltime job and they have to get the money ready somehow for their children future marriages. Than they will have to support théir families as well...

In Indië the dowry for a daughter sucks the parents totally empty. That's why you can find 'ultra-sound'offices on every corner of the street to determine the sex of the unborn baby. If it's a girl over 90% of the women will have it aborted after which all these poor souls get dumped somewhere in a well (I'll spare the details of the recent findings here..).
Anyway..that's théir reaction on financial distress caused by what they consider their culture , religious convictions and customs...
Certain Charedim do it théir way.

Please note: I am NOT comparing Judaism in any form to Indian religion in any form..merely people's reaction.
It's not just greed for money in the Charedi world; it's mainly unjustified desperation.

[Dorian]

.." If you feel that there is another country with fairer tax laws then why don't you name that country, or better still, move there..."

.."I was born and bred here and to leave is to start from scratch.."

Israel doesn't have fairer taxes but at leat you know most of it is spent on defence.
And to leave the USA and to start from scratch..yep..that's not always easy and you have to decide for yourself if it's worth it.
But we (as Romaniotes ) did it and we work hard to make it work. No matter what, fair and square..
Just know that the Haredi world & Co.. is just as 'wonderful' as it is in the States..so no reason to leave this site!
Just some food for though boys!
Have fun!

[Ben]

This is selective prosecution! I protest! Why did they pick up this unfortunate couple? Almost everyone in Haredi community here does this. This is unfair!

[Dorian]

Ben wrote: .."This is unfair!.."

Yeh, ain't it? Sometimes life really is a 'bitch' And look at the pictures of the couple..they both married one!

[nobody]

I don't see the blacks protesting against the criminals in their midst (they are responsible for something like 70-90% of violent crime in cities). In fact, I don't see any group grab banners and walk in the streets when criminals of their "kind" get caught and prosecuted. Because why should anyone have to do that? People go on with their own lives. The scenarios you imagine are complete fantasy.

[John]

nobody, you don't know any blacks anyways so your scenario and figures (by the way) are a complete fantasy as well.

Anyone ever notice how Haredim are selectively "chosen"?

They'll be the first to say they are the most moral people on earth and empirically better than everybody else (especially blacks and Palestinians--who they see as animals) but as soon as they are caught red-handed stealing or molesting they claim to be no worse than anybody else!