L.I. woman arrested on welfare fraud charges after she buys a house

A woman who worked part time for a Roslyn used luxury car dealer is accused of signing up for benefits from N.Y.’s Dept. of Social Services and living in a low-income housing complex in Oceanside, Long Island, with subsidized rent Section 8 subsidized housing complex since 2018, was arrested Thursday, March 14, 2024, and charged Friday, March 15, with Welfare Fraud, Grand Larceny and 3 counts of filing “False Instruments” by investigators for the Nassau County DA’s office.

Investigators say the accused L.I. woman has worked for years at Baron Automotive Management in Roslyn Heights and its subsidiaries.Photo byC.J. Teevan

Melissa Beltre, 42, was hauled into Nassau Criminal Court to face Felony charges that she took $22,476 from taxpayers in “annual subsidy benefits” between January 1, 2019 and October 31, 2021, while she lived in a low-income apartment at 2820 Weeks Drive in Oceanside.

Detective Gavin Shea described the alleged fraud in detail. In court filings he says Beltre’s phony welfare application was submitted October 23, 2018, to the county’s Office of Housing and Community Development at 40 Main Street, in Hempstead, Long Island, NY. Investigators say she filled out and submitted another phony benefits application a year later, on October 26, 2019, and did it again on October 10, 2020.

Home Sweet Home: A probe that went back several years concluded when the L.I. woman filed a mortgage application to buy this house.Photo byC.J. Teevan

A former Deputy Director of the Housing Choice Voucher Program led the investigation into Beltre’s claims for benefits, where she gave her weekly income as $1,200 in 2018, $1,400 in 2019, and $700 in 2020. But Beltre allegedly omitted income from her job at North Shore Motor Director and neglected to mention she had $43,230.16 in her 401(k) account at Baron Automotive Management.

Then she bought a house.

According to court filings, investigators discovered Beltre closed on 515 Olive Boulevard in South Hempstead on April 12, 2021. Beltre reported that purchase 6 months later, in October.

Beltre’s bank accounts at Jovia and Ocean Financial documented the “debits out of and credits into” those accounts -- $33,000 from North Shore Motor Direct in Syosset, $36,600 from North Shore Motor Direct and Sunrise Auto Outlet in Roslyn Heights, and $15,300 from Sunrise Auto Outlet in 2021.

Investigators say Beltre got $7,128 in free money from the Section 8 program in 2019, $11,208 in 2020, and $4,140 in 2021.Photo byKenny EliasononUnsplash

When Beltre applied to discontinue benefits herself in October 2021, she allegedly lied about when she was buying a house. The house was purchased April 12, 2021, investigators say – 6 months earlier, a transaction that immediately disqualified Beltre from the rent subsidy. But she took her sweet time disclosing that to them.

Meantime, in her mortgage application, she qualified for a $565,475 30-year mortgage, paid $585,000 for the house (indicating she handed the seller a $20,000 down payment), and stated her monthly income to the bank as $9,200.

All these documents she gave the bank when she applied for a mortgage were obtained by investigators. Beltre's credit history and income revealed that she didn't tell the truth about her income, the lead Detective in her criminal case says in the Felony Complaint filed against her.

She pleaded Not Guilty and was released on her own recognizance by Judge Marie McCormack. Beltre goes back to court next week.

"Welcome" to 515 Olive Blvd, South Hempstead. Detectives say Melissa Beltre qualified for a 30-yr mortgage and had a $9,200 monthly income.Photo byC.J. Teevan