Valley Stream woman charged with stealing $52K in SNAP benefits through false claims
MINEOLA, NY — A Valley Stream woman is accused of fraudulently collecting more than $52,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits by lying about her household income, living situation, and rent for several years, prosecutors announced Thursday.
Latoya Cummings, 40, was arraigned on October 30 before Judge Maria Boultadakis on multiple felony charges, including second-degree grand larceny, second-degree welfare fraud, and seven counts of offering a false instrument for filing. She pleaded not guilty and was released on her own recognizance. Her next court date is scheduled for November 10.
Prosecutors allege that between 2016 and 2023, Cummings submitted a series of false SNAP benefit applications and recertifications to the Nassau County Department of Social Services. She repeatedly claimed she lived at a William Street address with her three children, had no income, and paid $1,500 in monthly rent—of which $1,300 was supposedly paid by an “absent parent” (AP) and the remaining $200 by her father. The applications also included statements asserting she received only $300 per month in child support.
An investigation by the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office and NCDSS found that the AP was not absent at all, but rather a member of the household and the actual owner of the William Street property. Records show he purchased the home in 2016 from the previous landlord, who died in 2021. During the relevant period, the AP’s annual income ranged from $64,048 to $145,560 — a figure that would have disqualified the household from SNAP eligibility.
In total, Cummings and her children received approximately $52,632 in SNAP benefits to which they were not entitled.
She surrendered to investigators from the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office on October 30. If convicted on the top charge, she faces a maximum sentence of 5 to 15 years in prison.
The case is being prosecuted by the DA’s Crimes Against Revenue Unit.
Key Points
- Latoya Cummings is accused of stealing $52,632 in SNAP benefits through falsified forms
- Prosecutors say she misrepresented household income, rent, and family composition from 2016 to 2023
- Cummings faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of second-degree grand larceny