Doctor Accused Of Defrauding NY State Of $27K By Double-Dipping Employment: Rockland DA

NEW CITY, NY — A case of time theft has led to felony charges against a Hudson Valley doctor, according to prosecutors.

Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II, along with NYS Inspector General Lucy Lang, announced on Wednesday that 47-year-old Lena Samuel, of New City, was arraigned on an indictment charging her with third-degree grand larceny and 29 counts of first-degree offering a false instrument for filing.

According to court documents, Samuel, who worked as a medical review consultant for the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA), defrauded the state by collecting around $27,000 in wages from November 25, 2023, to November 24, 2024, for hours when she was actually working for another employer.

During this time, Samuel submitted timesheets to OTDA claiming she was working remotely, when she was in fact working in person at Saint Dominic's Family Services, in the Bronx, during those hours.

In addition, when she applied to work remotely for OTDA, Samuel submitted three different doctor notes that were signed under the name Joan Ellen Rose, M.D., of the Division of Hospital Medicine, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

However, investigators found that Mount Sinai has no record of such a person ever working there.

"This defendant sought to enrich herself at taxpayer expense, by claiming State pay for hours she did not work," Walsh said. "Public service is a public trust, and those who betray that trust will be held accountable."

The case was investigated by the Special Investigative Unit of the Rockland County DA's Office, and by the Offices of the NYS Inspector General.

"Fraud against the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance is a crime against New Yorkers in need and against all taxpayers," Lang said. "Thank you to Rockland County DA Walsh and his team for their partnership in seeking accountability for this breach of the public trust."