Press Release - Sunoco Indictment

To: Media

From: Holley Carnright

Date: October 17, 2011

Re: Press Release on Sunoco Indictment (Singh)


Introduction

In Ulster County approximately one in nine residents are beneficiaries of the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) , also known as the Food Stamp Program. The SNAP is a federally funded program administered locally through the Department of Social Services. In conjunction with other benefits programs, the oversight of this program is conducted through the Department of Social Services. Approximately 32 million dollars of taxpayer money was spent on food stamp benefits in Ulster County last year.

Release

The Ulster County District Attorney’s Office announces the indictment of Kanwarjit Singh, 38, of Wappingers Falls, the former proprietor of the Sunoco Convenient Mart located at 675 Broadway in the City of Kingston. An Ulster County Grand Jury returned an 18-count indictment charging Mr. Singh with Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, Misuse of Food Stamps, 2 counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, 4 counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, and 10 counts of Criminal Tax Fraud in the Fifth Degree.

This indictment marks the completion of the investigation into fraudulent food stamp practices at the former Sunoco Convenient Mart. In November 2010, this investigation was initially made public with the arrest of Mr. Singh. Further investigation revealed that food stamp sales at the store during the period January 2009 thru November 2010 totaled over $750,000, of which at least $320,000 were fraudulent transactions involving either the sale of non-food stamp eligible items (such as cigarettes, beer and gasoline) or, more often, the provision of cash to the food stamp customer. In return for providing cash or non-eligible items, the Sunoco store charged a surcharge of as much as 100%. Thus, a customer asking for $100 in cash would normally be charged $200 on their food stamp debit card. In other words, the cost to the taxpayer for each fraudulent $100.00 transaction was $200.00.

After the initial arrests, members of the Kingston Police Department and investigators from the Department of Social Services and the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office analyzed Sunoco’s food stamp transaction records and conducted interviews of over 120 Sunoco customers identified as possibly having engaged in fraud.

At that time, realizing the breadth of the fraud, I was not satisfied with only proceeding against the store owners. I approached County Executive Michael Hein and my liaison to the Legislature Jack Hayes, for additional resources to conduct a broader based investigation. Due to the sensitive nature of the investigation it was important that they not disclose information to the public. Each of these individuals, and the entire Ulster County Legislature, understood the importance of confidentiality to this investigation and provided this office support, without breaching our confidentiality. Today, I would like to publicly thank County Executive Hein and the Ulster County Legislature for their trust and support as well as the professionalism they have displayed.

To date, 18 defendants have been convicted of welfare fraud or misuse of food stamps. An additional 12 defendants were previously indicted by the Ulster County Grand Jury on charges of Misuse of Food Stamps on September 28. And there are 20 other criminal charges pending.

In addition to sentences of probation and/or incarceration, the criminal defendants will be ordered to pay back the Department of Social Services for the fraudulently obtained benefits. All convicted individuals are also disqualified from receiving food stamp benefits for a minimum of 1 year, which will result in an approximate annual savings to taxpayers of over $120,000.

In addition, the Department of Social Services has entered into non-criminal benefits disqualification agreements with over 50 other clients whereby they are disqualified from receiving any benefits for at least one year, and will also pay restitution for any fraudulent benefits received. These voluntary disqualification cases will result in an expected annual savings of an additional $127,000, and a restitution obligation of over $45,000. Notably, collection of restitution from these individuals does not necessarily depend upon the willingness or financial resources of individual benefit recipients. If a disqualified client continues to receive food stamp benefits for other members of their family, DSS is able to involuntarily “recoup” up to 20% of the family’s monthly benefits and apply these amounts toward the individual’s restitution obligation.

Finally, over 40 other food stamp clients have had their accounts involuntarily closed as part of this investigation for reasons ranging from failure to appear for an investigatory audit interview to the discovery of other factors rendering them ineligible for benefits. The closing of these accounts is expected to result in an additional governmental cost savings of approximately $100,000 per year.

District Attorney Holley Carnright wishes to thank all of the governmental partners involved in supporting this investigation for their hard work and invaluable assistance, including the Kingston Police Department, Ulster County Department of Social Services, New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, Ulster County Executive Michael Hein, and the members of the Ulster County Legislature.

Press Release - People v Jermaine Nicholas

TO: MEDIA
FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT
DATE: OCTOBER 11, 2011
RE: PRESS RELEASE-PEOPLE V JERMAINE NICHOLAS

AN ULSTER COUNTY JURY CONVICTED JERMAINE NICHOLAS A.K.A. “MAINO” OF ALL COUNTS IN THE INDICTMENT RELATED TO THE CONSPIRACY TO KILL CHARLES KING, JR. ON FEBRUARY 9, 2010. AT THE TRIAL THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY ARGUED THAT NICHOLAS, AS WELL AS HIS CO-CONSPIRATORS, WERE MEMBERS OF THE BLOODS GANG.

NICHOLAS WAS CONVICTED OF CONSPIRACY IN THE SECOND DEGREE, INTIMIDATING A WITNESS IN THE FIRST DEGREE, TAMPERING WITH A WITNESS IN THE FIRST DEGREE, AND CRIMINAL FACILITATION IN THE SECOND DEGREE, ALL FELONIES.

THE JURY BEGAN DELIBERATIONS AT 2:30 PM ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011, AND REQUESTED TO STOP DELIBERATIONS AT 7:30 PM ON FRIDAY EVENING. THE JURORS RECONVENED AT 9:30 AM TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2011, AND RETURNED A GUILTY VERDICT AT 11:30 AM.

THREE OTHER GANG MEMBERS HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN CONVICTED AFTER TRIAL. GARY GRIFFIN A/K/A “G MONEY” AND TREVOR MATTIS A/K/A “LITTLE T” WERE CONVICTED OF MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE, ET AL, AND ARE SERVING LIFE WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE. JARRIN RANKIN, A/K/A “PHAT BOY”, WAS CONVICTED OF CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT MURDER AND HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS.


ULSTER COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY HOLLEY CARNRIGHT STATED, “MY OFFICE HAS PROVEN THAT WE ARE 100% COMMITTED TO PROTECTING THE CITIZENS OF ULSTER COUNTY. JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED, AGAIN, FOR THE FAMILY OF CHARLES KING, JR.”

CARNRIGHT STATED, FURTHER, THAT “THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROSECUTION IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE CONCERTED EFFORT BY THE KINGSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, ULSTER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, AND THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE.”

NICHOLAS WAS REPRESENTED BY DAVID GANDIN AND THE CASE WAS PROSECUTED BY SENIOR ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY GERARD VAN LOAN.