The FBI allegedly destroyed the evidence because the investigation that uncovered it was conducted by a county employee – Nicole Latreille, a medicaid fraud investigator – who did not have authorization to conduct the investigation.
FBI Allegedly Destroys Evidence Of Massive Kiryas Joel Welfare Fraud
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
Evidence of what appeared to be massive medicaid fraud in the Satmar hasidic village of Kiryas Joel was destroyed by the FBI, Orange County, New York spokesman Justin Rodriguez reportedly said today.
The FBI allegedly destroyed the evidence because the investigation that uncovered it was conducted by a county employee – Nicole Latreille, a medicaid fraud investigator – who did not have authorization to conduct the investigation, the Mid-Hudson News reported.
Latreille was temporarily suspended and then was transferred when she turned the evidence over to her superiors and gave it to the FBI several months ago. She filed a lawsuit against the county’s human resources office and its social services commissioners in response to her suspension and transfer.
County spokesman Rodriguez said Tuesday that “only authorized personnel are permitted use of certain databases containing sensitive and confidential information.” He said Latreille admitted that she “accessed this restricted information not pursuant to her official duties, but as a private citizen” during her work hours. He said the FBI informed the county that it has destroyed the evidence Latreille found “due to the improprieties associated with the manner in which the information was obtained.” He also stressed that the FBI never requested the evidence and that none of it was used in any criminal investigation or prosecution.
“[It is] general knowledge that evidence used in the court of law must be obtained in an appropriate manner and the failure to do so can adversely impact the use of such information in future court proceedings.…[there is] a long-standing Special Investigations Unit that refers all fraudulent matters over certain thresholds to the district attorney for action regardless of the residence of the target. That practice will be enthusiastically continued as we seek to eliminate welfare fraud at every opportunity,” Rodriguez said.