December 1, 1999

EAST ELMHURST MAN CHARGED WITH DEFRAUDING HRA OF $150,000 BY FALSELY CLAIMING THAT HIS WIFE WAS DEAD

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown joined by Jason A. Turner, Commissioner of the Human Resources Administration, announced today the arrest of a 51 year old East Elmhurst man on charges of defrauding the Human Resources Administration of more than $150,000 over seven years by falsely claiming that his wife had died and collecting public assistance payments for care of the couple's children.

District Attorney Brown identified the defendant as Nelson Keller of 25-31 Humphreys Street, East Elmhurst. He is charged with grand larceny 2, nine counts of falsifying business records 1 and nine counts of offering a false instrument for filing 1 and faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

According to the District Attorney, "It is charged that in November 1992 the defendant applied for public assistance claiming that his wife had died and that he was HIV positive and therefore unable to work to support their three children and that between November 1992 and June 1999 the defendant received $150,581.17 -- $115,360.60 in public assistance, $24,915.00 in food stamps and $10,305.57 in medical assistance. It is alleged that during this time his wife was alive and was living with the family and working as a nurse supervisor at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center."

The defendant was arrested this morning by Detectives Buddy Lasala and Douglas Chu of the New York City Police Department's Queens District Attorney's Squad which is under the supervision of Captain Harold J. Knorr, after an investigation carried out jointly with the Human Resources Administration's Bureau of Fraud Investigation.

Assistant District Attorney Jeanetta Alexander of the District Attorney's Economic Crimes Bureau, which is under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Michael J. Mansfield and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney Robert D. Alexander, is in charge of the case.

It should be noted that an arrest is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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