Getbig.com: American Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure
Getbig Main Boards => Gossip & Opinions => Topic started by: El Diablo Blanco on January 07, 2014, 01:48:48 PM
-
When America was sucking their cocks for being Heros, I always said WTF!
Prosecutor: More than 100 NYC police and firefighters indicted in PTSD scam
New York (CNN) -- Though the former New York City police officers and firefighters were supposed to be fully disabled -- some suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after the 9/11 terrorist attacks -- photos in court documents released Tuesday painted a starkly different picture.
One man smiled behind shades and flipped the bird aboard a Sea-Doo personal watercraft. Another sat at the controls of a helicopter. A mixed martial arts instructor posed with arms crossed. They're seen riding motorcycles, hauling in massive sailfish, slugging softballs for the "NYPD Blues," taking jump shots, running half marathons and golfing, and even giving television news interviews while selling cannoli at Manhattan's famed San Genaro festival.
They are among the more than 100 retired New York City police and firefighters indicted in a massive Social Security disability scam involving hundreds of millions of dollars, authorities said. More than half the recipients received funds for fraudulent claims for PTSD in the wake of the September 11 terror attacks on the World Trade Center.
"We will chase down every penny that these dishonorable thieves fraudulently pilfered so that the truly heroic firefighters, police officers, medics, and civilians who actually risked their lives on September 11, 2001, and are now suffering because of it, can get the care that they critically need," said James T. Hayes, Jr., special agent-in-charge of Homeland Security Investigations New York.
The alleged scam spanned more than two decades, with law enforcement officers and firefighters coached on how to behave during doctor visits in order to qualify for full disability benefits, officials said.
"As a New Yorker, as a U.S. citizen, I can only express disgust at the actions of these individuals involved in this scheme, particularly the 72 former members of the New York City Police Department who have certainly disgraced themselves, embarrassed their families, with their abuse of this system," Police Commissioner William Bratton said at a news conference. "The idea that many of them chose the events of 9/11 to claim as the basis of the disability brings further dishonor to themselves."
The defendants received up to $50,000 a year because, they claimed, they were no longer able to work, officials said. Many of the claims allegedly involved work-related trauma caused by the 9/11 terror attacks. The 9/11-related claims alone totaled hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The main defendants in the scam were identified as Raymond Lavallee, 83, a lawyer and former FBI agent and Nassau County prosecutor; Thomas Hale, 89, a disability consultant; John Minerva, 61, a union official for the Detectives' Endowment Association; and Joseph Esposito, 64, a retired police officer. Lavallee also was chief of the rackets bureau in the Nassau County District Attorney's office.
Lawyers for the defendants could not be immediately reached.
Prosecutors said the men allegedly directed and coached hundreds of Social Security Disability Insurance applicants, including many retirees of the NYPD and FDNY, to lie about psychiatric conditions in order to obtain benefits.
The charges include grand larceny in the first and second degrees, and attempted grand larceny in the second degree. The remaining 102 defendants, all recipients of Social Security disability benefits, were charged with grand larceny in the second degree and attempted grand larceny in the second degree.
"It's a particularly cynical part of the ... scheme that approximately half of the defendants falsely claimed that their psychiatric disabilities were caused by their association with the terrorist attacks of September 11th," said District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. "This fraud not only forced federal taxpayers to finance the lifestyles of New York scammers, it also took away, importantly, the already limited resources we have for people who actually suffered from psychiatric disabilities. That includes, of course, the brave first responders who ran toward the fires on September 11th, and who now suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and other serious but very real psychiatric disabilities."
The average annual payment was between $30,000 to $50,000 for each recipient, prosecutors said. Of the defendants, 72 were also collecting pensions as retirees of the NYPD, eight from the New York City Fire Department, five from the New York Department of Correction and one from the Nassau County Police Department.
Prosecutors said the defendants were meticulously instructed on how to fail memory tests with plausibility, how to dress, and on how to behave. Nearly every application included identical descriptions of the activities of daily living: "I nap on and off during the day;" "I have the TV on to keep me company;" "I'm up and down all night long."
The leaders of the scheme allegedly collected one-time cash payments based on the monthly disability awards -- ranging from approximately $20,000 to $50,000, prosecutors said. In addition, Lavallee also received $6,000 directly from the government for attorney's fees for each applicant.
The applicants were instructed to withdraw cash from the bank in increments under $10,000 to avoid raising suspicion or require the filing of government currency reports, according to court papers.
Some of those charged went on to hold other jobs, including teaching martial arts, even though the full disability they received involved a diagnosis that they were so traumatized they were incapable of performing any kind of work, officials added.
In some instances, prosecutor said, the total amount fraudulently obtained was nearly $500,000 per applicant. The average Social Security Disability Insurance payment to date for the defendants, which included retroactive lump sum payments, was about $210,000.
"The applicants were coached to tell Social Security Administration they were unable to perform basic life skills, like cooking for themselves, grooming themselves, paying bills and socializing," Vance said. "Many said they could no longer drive or be out of the house for more than a short walk around the house. The investigation revealed lifestyles that were very different... One defendant who retired from the police department after an alleged neck injury, and later claimed psychiatric issues ... taught martial arts... Another former police officer who claimed he could not go outside because he was too depressed and would have panic attacks, posted on Facebook this jetski photo. And ... another police officer claimed identical ailments, and an inability to socialize or leave the house, posted this photo from a fishing trip."
Vance said the indictment was "just the beginning" and that investigation "uncovered additional information which will be carefully reviewed over the upcoming months."
-
I already knew most cops were rat fink bastards. Thanks for adding to the evidence pile.
-
Shame on them..
I have many close friends (some even family) that are members of the NYPD and none of them would ever stoop so low.
What I have always heard from them is that the department tends to be very unfair towards the officers and a lot of unfair policies exist within the department.
"1"
-
bah, that's nothing compared to the scum politician with their snouts in the ever giving trough
-
So if you have ptsd you can't ride a seadoo ::)
Insurance industry of pieces.
-
The cops and firemen who are convicted of the allegations are worse than pond scum. I wonder what percentage of the firemen and cops who worked the 911 tragedy this group of 100 make up?
-
Yes Pigs wear badges
-
These guys are being prosecuted for what are financial crimes that are in total little more than a rounding error in comparison to the more than $1 trillion that was wasted on the so-called "war" in Iraq. Who will be prosecuted for that financial disaster?
Or the 5 billion in 2012 that the IRS sent to Identity theives who will not be prosecuted, or the .... the list goes on and on but if these Emergency workers used the 911 event to take advantage of a situation, then fry them.
-
There's 10,000 cops in NYC, less than 100 were implicated, you imbecile.
-
Oh no, you can't speak badly of these heros because these hero's did heroic deeds. God bless those hero's for being such heros. All heros should be so heroic.
Oh wait- they were doing their F-ing job.
-
Oh no, you can't speak badly of these heros because these hero's did heroic deeds. God bless those hero's for being such heros. All heros should be so heroic.
Oh wait- they were doing their F-ing job.
yep do your job and die and your a hero.
Heroic is running in the building while it was being detonated. Not running and dying.
-
Oh no, you can't speak badly of these heros because these hero's did heroic deeds. God bless those hero's for being such heros. All heros should be so heroic.
Oh wait- they were doing their F-ing job.
Actually there are safety procedures they are supposed to follow but they pretty much abandoned those procedures on 9/11.
-
These guys are being prosecuted for what are financial crimes that are in total little more than a rounding error in comparison to the more than $1 trillion that was wasted on the so-called "war" in Iraq. Who will be prosecuted for that financial disaster?
or the 800,000 spent to send air force 1 back to Hawaii to pick up Michelle because she wanted to spend a few extra days there without the husband and kids, Barry said it was to be an early 50th birthday present to her..... maybe he should fucking pay for it then
-
There's 10,000 cops in NYC, less than 100 were implicated, you imbecile.
Thats1% involved in one investigation.that's. F ing huge.you imbecile
-
None of the things that they were doing, softball, golf, etc... at the beginning have anything to do with whether someone has PTSD or not.
-
only psychopaths and losers choose to be cops
:-X :-X
-
Holding my opinion until I first hear from aahmed.
-
Oh no, you can't speak badly of these heros because these hero's did heroic deeds. God bless those hero's for being such heros. All heros should be so heroic.
Oh wait- they were doing their F-ing job.
x1 Googleplex
-
Police/fire disability pensions use to be for catastrophic events. Then the courts ruled that to be disabled you have to be disabled enough not to be able to do the job of being a cop. This opened the flood gates.
A bad shoulder is good enough to say you can't do the work of a cop or fireman. It use to be reserved for guys who were shot, bad accidents, or ruined their lungs in a fire. Now some dirt bags are seeking disability pensions for everything under the sun. Realize that their disability pension isn't federally taxed so their disability pension is often more money than what their pay check was. NY Fire men are all jumping on the band wagon when they get close to retirement so they will have extra money.
Once they get their disability pension they apply for social security disability for an extra check on top of that.
-
not all cops(and fireman) who go out on disablity put in for SSI(social security)..that is a fact!
-
Thames valley police are the shittest police force in the world. Just this weekend a cop got caught drink driving, in his patrol car, on duty! Worst burglary detection rate in UK, worst presence, half are on coke.
-
Ronnie Coleman didn't do this and he had to diet for the Mr. Olympia
-
None of the things that they were doing, softball, golf, etc... at the beginning have anything to do with whether someone has PTSD or not.
I'd actually argue it's typical behavior of someone with ptsd to engage in activities to lessen stress and anxiety.
.
Anyhow for the 100 guys that scammed the system, there's probably a 100 that didn't seek help that are likely taking it out on their family as we speak.
-
Ronnie Coleman didn't do this and he had to diet for the Mr. Olympia
and mentally prepare for that battle
-
Tip of the iceberg. I live here and what they get away w is criminal, literally.
-
Don't blame all the cops and firemen for this small percentage of thieves. I find most cop haters are the ones with bad driving records and have prior arrests. If you are getting pulled over every month it's you and not the cop that is the problem.
-
I'd actually argue it's typical behavior of someone with ptsd to engage in activities to lessen stress and anxiety.
.
Anyhow for the 100 guys that scammed the system, there's probably a 100 that didn't seek help that are likely taking it out on their family as we speak.
Social security disability is growing at an outrageous rate since Obama has been in office. I'm not talking about cops or firemen. One of the favorites is a psychological disability. No matter what you do you are safe from fraud. You can go sking, sky diving, and hit the clubs dancing. People are learning how easy it is to get a check for life. Then you can add to that food stamps, housing assistance and a free cell phone. Why would anyone work at McDonalds at 35 when you can get more by not working? The system is really being scammed nation wide.
-
Good people and bad people in every walk of life.
-
Thats1% involved in one investigation.that's. F ing huge.you imbecile
Those are just the ones that got caught
-
Good people and bad people in every walk of life.
From what I have seen - living here my entire life - its a systemic problem in NY w OT, disability, pension, and other types of abuse
-
These guys are being prosecuted for what are financial crimes that are in total little more than a rounding error in comparison to the more than $1 trillion that was wasted on the so-called "war" in Iraq. Who will be prosecuted for that financial disaster?
You are an idiot.
Just because this pales in comparison to the $1 trillion wasted in Iraq doesn't diminish the severity of the actions taken by these thieves.
Stick to the topic at hand, nitwit.
-
Police/fire disability pensions use to be for catastrophic events. Then the courts ruled that to be disabled you have to be disabled enough not to be able to do the job of being a cop. This opened the flood gates.
A bad shoulder is good enough to say you can't do the work of a cop or fireman. It use to be reserved for guys who were shot, bad accidents, or ruined their lungs in a fire. Now some dirt bags are seeking disability pensions for everything under the sun. Realize that their disability pension isn't federally taxed so their disability pension is often more money than what their pay check was. NY Fire men are all jumping on the band wagon when they get close to retirement so they will have extra money.
Once they get their disability pension they apply for social security disability for an extra check on top of that.
Not sure where you are speaking about but in Texas it is like pulling teeth to get a disability for a line of duty injury. And if you do get it, it is reviewed annually to see if there are any changes. I think in the 21 yrs I've been at this department there have been less than 10 who have gotten medical disability.
-
Social security disability is growing at an outrageous rate since Obama has been in office. I'm not talking about cops or firemen. One of the favorites is a psychological disability. No matter what you do you are safe from fraud. You can go sking, sky diving, and hit the clubs dancing. People are learning how easy it is to get a check for life. Then you can add to that food stamps, housing assistance and a free cell phone. Why would anyone work at McDonalds at 35 when you can get more by not working? The system is really being scammed nation wide.
this is hipocrite blablka.
furhter above you say its just very few cops they not all the same and then you go and say its widespread phenomenon since obama and theres many scammers you claim, but you dont defend them like you defend the cops.
imo the cops didnt do anythingbad btw.
-
Good people and bad people in every walk of life.
Bad argument here. Cops are not random people. They go through a screening process, psych test, physical test etc... to weed out the bad ones yet somehow many still make it through
-
this is hipocrite blablka.
furhter above you say its just very few cops they not all the same and then you go and say its widespread phenomenon since obama and theres many scammers you claim, but you dont defend them like you defend the cops.
imo the cops didnt do anythingbad btw.
You have to write coherently if you want me to understand what you are saying. Disability social security is exploding. The numbers are in the millions. There are so many people gaming the system. I bet you can't find one American that doesn't know a person collecting disability off the backs of the workers paying taxes. NYC Police is a very small number of thieves gaming the system. I didn't defend them. I called them thieves. Many of the accused claim to working 9-11 resuces and clean up when they weren't even there. Yes, collecting disability when you can work is a scam and criminal. Work is something you probably don't know anything about.
-
Who wins in da cage, LAPD V NYPD?
-
Don't blame all the cops and firemen for this small percentage of thieves. I find most cop haters are the ones with bad driving records and have prior arrests. If you are getting pulled over every month it's you and not the cop that is the problem.
Blah blah blah, just put on another episode of your favorite cop fantasy and stfu fool.
-
Don't blame all the cops and firemen for this small percentage of thieves. I find most cop haters are the ones with bad driving records and have prior arrests. If you are getting pulled over every month it's you and not the cop that is the problem.
In other words you re a pussy sheep that does what he s told by the state and never dares question the big man.