Four Staten Island couples were arrested Thursday, accused of taking tens of thousands of dollars in taxpayer-supported welfare while they were living in lavish homes and receiving six-figure incomes from rental properties, investments and business they owned.

District Attorney Daniel Donovan, Jr., announced charges of third-degree welfare fraud and grand larceny against the eight Staten Island residents.

The defendants had been on the welfare rolls for years, despite living in million-dollar homes in some of Staten Island’s most exclusive neighborhoods, driving around in luxury cars and getting plenty of revenue from their investments, said Donovan.

One couple, 61-year-old Hanna Youssef and 55-year-old Zaka Youssef, received over $40,000 in Medicaid benefits since 2008, even though they owned a $1.4 million gated Todt Hill home and a strip mall on 350 Forest Ave. that brought in more than $14,000 a month, said Donovan. They also recently sold a restaurant in Brooklyn for $700,000.

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Rich-Staten-Island-Couples-Medicaid-Fraud-132757423.html

BTW

Don’t mock welfare until you tried it. Warning its addictive!

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