Wealthy Queens Mother Scams Nearly $70K From Medicaid: DA

JAMAICA, QUEENS -- A Jamaica mother with more than $1 million to her name allegedly cheated Medicaid out of nearly $70,000 over the course of three years, authorities said.

Galit Levi, 37, was charged with grand larceny, welfare fraud and falsifying business records on Thursday after she allegedly lied about her household income to receive Medicaid benefits for herself and her children, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.

While applying for Medicaid, Levi allegedly claimed she was unemployed and her husband only earned $1,750 per month, which wasn't enough to support the pair and their four children. She and her kids were approved for the benefits in January 2012 after what turned out to be a false claim.

Levi allegedly continued to bilk the system of more than $67,000 in Medicaid benefits for herself and her children through December 2015, the complaint says.

But a review of Levi and her husband's bank account records showed the couple's deposits between 2012 and 2016 exceeded a whopping $1.13 million, according to the charges.

"Medicaid is intended to help the truly needy, but this defendant's bank records allegedly show her family's income was well above the levels that would have made her and her children eligible for assistance," Brown said.

Levi was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on Thursday morning, where her bail was set at $5,000 and she was ordered to hand over her U.S. and Israeli passports. She is slated to appear back in court on Feb. 13.

If convicted, Levi faces up to 15 years in prison.

Lead photo via Shutterstock.