Five Hudson Valley prison guards are now facing felony charges.
Investigators say they faked injuries, forged documents, and collected thousands in state disability pay.
Five Hudson Valley Corrections Officers Arrested
Marina Nezhinkay
Marina Nezhinkay
Local officials announced that five current and former corrections officers in Ulster County have been arrested.
Investigators say they faked injuries, forged medical notes, and even worked
second jobs while collecting state disability pay.
According to Ulster County District Attorney Emmanuel Nneji, the scams cost New York taxpayers over $15,000.
“These schemes were perpetuated by sworn public officers who were entrusted with maintaining the safety and security of New York’s correctional facilities and those within them, makes the charged conduct even more egregious,” Nneji said.
The arrests follow an 18-month investigation into alleged workers’ comp abuse at the Ulster and Wallkill Correctional Facilities.
Corrections Officers Arrested In $15,000 Workers’ Comp Fraud Scheme
Some of the officers forged doctors’ signatures on medical forms to claim injuries that never happened, while one worker who said he was “100% disabled” was caught working as a home health aide, paid by the state, at the same time, officials say.
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Another allegedly forged over 20 fake medical notes to take extra time off work.
Officials called this case a betrayal of public trust, adding that the fake injury claims worsened staffing shortages and put both officers and inmates at risk.
5 Ulster County Prison Guards Arrested
The five charged include:
Christine Donovan, 41, of Lake Katrine: accused of forging medical documents and stealing nearly $6,000 in benefits.Jeremy LaChance, 42, of Kerhonkson: accused of using 22 fake medical notes to collect over $3,000 in pay.Ashli Paulino, 36, of Mountain Dale: accused of submitting fake paperwork for over $1,700 in benefits.Brian Porter, 49, of Monticello: accused of filing false claims worth more than $1,000.Anthony Tacti, 34, of Kerhonkson: accused of claiming total disability while secretly working as a home health aide, pocketing nearly $9,000 in total fraud.
Some of the accused remain employed by the Department of Corrections, while others have resigned or been terminated.
All defendants face felony charges, including grand larceny, insurance fraud, and filing false instruments.
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All were either arraigned in Ulster Town Court or issued desk appearance tickets.
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