Man is accused of disability fraud

May 14, 2008

m5684059may13,0,478243.story

A New Hyde Park man has been charged with bilking the system of close

to $300,000 in disability benefits while working a full-time job that

paid $168,000 a year, the Nassau County district attorney's office

said.

At his arraignment yesterday, Chathapuram Kumar, 54, pleaded not

guilty to grand larceny, insurance fraud and falsifying business

records. His lawyer, Dowd of Manhattan, said Kumar had polio

as a child and his condition has worsened in recent years, and he was

unable to work between November 2004 and May 2005.

Kumar filed for Social Security benefits in February 2004, claiming

he could not work because of fatigue, leg weakness and other symptoms

of post-polio syndrome, according to the district attorney's office.

" There's no question that between May 2005 up until October 2007 that

he was collecting benefits that he shouldn't have been collecting, "

Dowd said. " His problem has been that his condition has been getting

worse even since he was able to work and he was consequently afraid

that he would have to stop everything. That kept him from stopping

the benefits. "

Recommended Posts