Politics & Government

Probe Continues Into Storm Irene Food Stamp Fraud Allegations

No arrests have ever been made in the investigation and most of the fired state workers have gotten their jobs back.

By Eileen McNamara

It's been more than a year since the state launched an investigation into whether nearly 200 state workers improperly received food stamp assistance in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene, and the probe continues with no arrests or clear outcomes.  

Amid allegations that some workers earning six-figure salaries got food stamp assistance after the storm knocked out power for days to nearly one million utility customers in Connecticut, dozens of state workers were suspended and dozens more fired.

But in the months following the disciplines most of the state employees who were let go, about 90 in all, won their jobs back in arbitration hearings, according to a report this weekend in the Middletown Press. Another 53 workers received suspensions ranging from a few weeks to several months as a result of the alleged fraud, the newspaper reports.  

“All of the (state employees) who were found to have received payments under D-SNAP to which they were not entitled have repaid the amount inappropriately received,” Linda Yelmini, director of state labor relations, told the Press. “The repayment was in addition to loss of pay as a result of a suspension or other disciplinary action.” 

Following the August 2011 storm more than 1,000 state workers, along with  thousands of other residents in Connecticut, sought out and received benefits from the special Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or D-SNAP. The state made the assistance available to those who suffered losses during Irene's long power outages. The benefits were typically between $200 and $1,200 per applicant. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here