PRESS RELEASE
Montgomery County Department of Social Services Commissioner Michael McMahon announces the arrest of 28 year old Natalie A. Perdomo of Amsterdam on 10/31/2019 as a result of the latest investigation into persons attempting to defraud the Montgomery County Department of Social Services.
Natalie A. Perdomo Age: 28
250 East Main Street Apt. 2
Amsterdam, NY 12010
Perdomo is charged with two counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree (E-Felony). It is alleged that Perdomo on two occasions did not report lawfully earned wages on her application for services which allowed her to receive benefits that she would otherwise be ineligible for. Perdomo was arrested at Amsterdam Police Headquarters and held for arraignment in front of Amsterdam City Court Judge the Honorable Lisa M. Lorman where Perdomo was ordered to be held at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in lieu of $10,000 cash bail or $20,000 insurance bond.
This case is to be prosecuted by the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.
The charge of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the1st Degree (E-Felony) is warranted when a person knowingly submits a false statement or false information with intent to defraud any public authority. In these cases it is common for a person to falsify or omit information on an application with the intent to receive a benefit that they would otherwise not qualify for. The charge of Welfare Fraud pertains to the monetary value the person actually takes from the public authority that they were otherwise not qualified to have. The threshold for a felony charge for Welfare Fraud is one thousand dollars and a misdemeanor for under one thousand dollars.
These arrests are the results of a collaborative effort between the Montgomery County Department of Social Services Fraud Investigations Unit, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department, Montgomery County District Attorney’s office, and the City of Amsterdam Police Department. The Fraud Investigations Unit is the part of the Department of Social Services that investigates all claims for public assistance to ensure that public assistance is being spent responsibly. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department and the City of Amsterdam Police Department assist in the apprehension of offenders once the Fraud Investigations Unit has found probable cause against the suspects.
The Montgomery County Department of Social Services is committed to providing public assistance to citizens in need. These arrests are made to ensure that any persons attempting to defraud Montgomery County are held accountable and to return to the treasury all public money fraudulently obtained.
