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New Paltz, NY – Some counties in New York are seeing an increased number of food stamp fraud cases. WAMC's Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Greg Fry reports that there are investments being made to fight these cases...
Last month, Albany County prosecutors announced charges against owners of four stores for alleged food stamp fraud. Prosecutors in Kingston say nearly one million dollars in fraudulent purchases were made at a gas station which was raided at the end of last year. Ulster County District Attorney Holley Carnright says collaborations are needed to find these types of crimes.
"Without the intelligence from the local police department and the work that they do, we wouldn't be off the ground," says Carnright. "We wouldn't have even found out about this."
Ulster County officials have approved more than $2 thousand in funding for Carnright's office to investigate these incidents. Carnright believes the problem isn't limited to Kingston. However, when contacted, an assistant prosecutor in Dutchess County said they've seen no increase in food stamp fraud.
Greg Fry, WAMC News.