On April 20, 2026, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Albany County District Attorney Lee C. Kindlon and New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James announced that a resident of Woodstock, New York was sentenced to five years’ probation for his role in stealing $90,000 in Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) funds to which he was not entitled.
“As technology advances so do fraudsters, and this case shows that collaboration works in holding defendants accountable when they attempt to use deception to steal taxpayer dollars,” Kindlon said. “Kudos to the Comptroller’s Office, New York State Police and our Financial Crimes Unit in uncovering this attempt to defraud the state.”
“This sentencing significantly demonstrates the effectiveness of the measures taken to safeguard the application process for rental assistance. The State Police will continue to work to impede the use of false information to prevent individuals from fraudulently obtaining funds they are not entitled to. I commend the New York State Comptroller’s Office, our State Police members, and Albany County District Attorney’s Office for their combined effort in this sentencing,” James said.
To perpetrate their scheme, the defendants filed a phony application with the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) to fraudulently obtain funding through the ERAP.
The ERAP program was created during the COVID-19 pandemic to help medium and low-income households at risk of eviction. Landlords or tenants could apply to OTDA for funds to cover unpaid back rent and future rent payments. If the tenant met the criteria, the payments would be made directly to the landlord.
The New York State Police received a complaint that a brother and his sister received ERAP funds that they were not entitled to. Based on the complaint, a joint investigation was launched by DiNapoli’s office and the State Police.
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Since taking office in 2007, DiNapoli has committed to fighting public corruption and encourages the public to help fight fraud and abuse. New Yorkers can report allegations of fraud involving taxpayer money by calling the toll-free Fraud Hotline at 1-888-672-4555, or by mailing a complaint to: Office of the State Comptroller, Division of Investigations, 8th Floor, 110 State St., Albany, NY 12236 or by emailing a complaint to investigations@osc.ny.gov .