Updated 11/18/2010 05:55 AM
Woman accused of stealing $100,000 in public assistance benefits
One hundred thousand dollars. That's how much Albany County prosecutors are alleging one Colonie woman stole in public assistance benefits over four years. Our Sabina Kuriakose caught up with Angela Lopez who had plenty to say as she was leaving court.
To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.
Then come back here and refresh the page.
ALBANY, N.Y. -- Do you think someone who lives in a big house and has four cars and a boat parked in their driveway deserves $100,000 of your taxpayer dollars? The Albany County District Attorney's Office doesn't think so.
"You're eligible so there's nothing. OK? There's no case," said Angela Lopez, 37, of Colonie, insisting she's entitled to tens of thousands of dollars in Social Security disability payments, Medicaid, and food stamps. But prosecutors say Lopez stole the money over four years time.
"Ms. Lopez failed to report income to the Albany County Department of Social Services, which resulted in theft of a substantial amount of money," said Assistant District Attorney Ben Clark.
"What a joke," said Lopez as she left her arraignment on Wednesday.
But no one's laughing. The DA's office said Lopez collected disability for a bad back while continuing to work as a home health aide. It was money prosecutors say she shouldn't have been eligible for. Now, Lopez faces felony charges of fraud and grand larceny, just two of the 19 counts against her.
YNN asked Lopez why taxpayers should pay for her lifestyle, to which Lopez didn't answer. She then got into her Lincoln Navigator and drove away. Lopez returned to her home on Vanessa Court, released on her own recognizance by the judge after she pleaded not guilty. All she'd say is that she didn't do anything wrong.
"That's why I'm walking," said Lopez.
If convicted, she faces a maximum of 7 1/3 to 20 years in prison if convicted of all the charges.