The FBI and New Jersey state authorities conducted a massive raid in Lakewood on Monday morning, arresting a rabbi and several others for alleged welfare fraud in the million dollar range.
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According to the Asbury Park Press, Rabbi Zalmen Sorotzkin, his wife Tzipporah Sorotzkin, the rabbi’s brother Mordecai Sorotzkin and wife Rachel Sorotzkin, married couple Mordechai and Jocheved Breskin, and Shimon and Yocheved Nussbaum have all been arrested.
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Video showed FBI agents outside a residence on Monday before knocking on the door.
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The accusations are, according to law enforcement officials, that a scheme “rival[ing] the most sophisticated of financial frauds” occurred, and that the perpetrators underreported their incomes to “obtain Medicaid, Section 8 housing assistance, food stamps, Social Security disability and Supplemental Security Income,” totaling roughly $1.3 million in value.
PHOTOS: Eight people were arrested in Lakewood today in connection to an alleged welfare fraud scheme. https://t.co/vkRrtPvgFa pic.twitter.com/hBvgZq1brf
— Asbury Park Press (@AsburyParkPress) June 26, 2017
“The investigation to date has found that government benefits fraud and income tax evasion in the Lakewood community is widespread,” the source told the Asbury Park Press.
It is alleged that the accused made tens of thousands of dollars more per year than they reported.
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What’s more, this raid is only the beginning.
Authorities say there will be more such raids and more arrests for several millions of dollars worth of fraud.