Ten more retired Long Island Rail Road workers have been charged with federal crimes, accused of falsely claiming to be disabled so they could obtain federal disability pensions in addition to their railroad pensions in what prosecutors have called a huge fraud scheme, reports the New York Times. Nine of the workers were charged with mail fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud and mail fraud, while one was charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to court papers.
The arrests were carried out by F.B.I. agents and investigators from the office of the inspector general for the federal Railroad Retirement Board, which awarded the disability pensions. The new arrests bring to 32 the number of people charged in the scheme, which federal prosecutors in Manhattan said could have cost the Railroad Retirement Board more than $1 billion if all of the money had been disbursed.