Buffalo, New York (WNY News Now) A Buffalo man who fraudulently obtained more than $82,000 in benefits from public assistance programs was given a two-year probationary term.Rodney C. Jones
Erie County DA’s Office Photo
On Monday, Justice Paul B. Wojtaszek of the State Supreme Court jailed 60-year-old Rodney C. Jones of Buffalo. By hiding his wife’s income on applications submitted to the Erie County Department of Social Services, Jones unlawfully received over $9,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits between March 1, 2018, and February 28, 2022. Furthermore, between July 1, 2014, and October 31, 2023, Jones earned more than $72,000 from the Social Security Administration (SSA) in dishonest manner.
Jones entered a guilty plea on November 12, 2024, to two Class A misdemeanors: attempted grand larceny in the fourth degree and welfare fraud in the fifth degree. Jones made full restitution as part of his plea deal, which included $72,459 to the Social Security Administration and $9,707 to the Erie County Department of Social Services.
According to Acting Erie County District Attorney Mike Keane, this public assistance benefit program is only available to low-income people and families who actually require assistance with the cost of food and other necessities. For their efforts in this inquiry, I would like to thank the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, the Erie County Department of Social Services, and the Office of the New York State Inspector General. We’ll keep working together to hold people accountable for obtaining these benefits fraudulently.
According to New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang, this fraud compromised the core goals of Social Security and SNAP, which for many years have provided a lifeline to those in need in New York. To put individual greed ahead of the integrity of public benefit is a betrayal of diligent taxpayers. I appreciate our continued collaboration with the Erie County District Attorney’s Office to hold those who take advantage of the systems put in place to assist families in need accountable.
The authorities’ efforts to hold Jones accountable were praised by DA Keane. Assistant District Attorney Norvella C. Pendergrass of the Special Investigations and Prosecutions Bureau prosecuted the case.