A Brooklyn man who was supposed to manage the finances for an assisted living home in Mohawk, Herkimer County, is now facing federal charges after prosecutors say he diverted more than $573,000 that was meant to care for residents. He appeared in federal court on June 2 to face the allegations.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the complaint alleges that between October 2024 and April 2025 the defendant obtained and cashed over $573,000 in checks made payable to the facility and issued by the U.S. Treasury Department and New York Medicaid. The release notes that the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and IRS Criminal Investigation assisted in the probe and that the matter is being prosecuted in federal court.
As reported by WRGB, the defendant has been identified as 41-year-old Ezriel Green of Brooklyn. If convicted, Green faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to five years of supervised release, and prosecutors say he may also be ordered to pay restitution.
How prosecutors say the theft occurred
The complaint alleges that Green cashed checks intended for the assisted living facility, then converted the funds to his own use instead of using the money for resident care, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “This defendant’s greed was astounding and the way he went about satisfying it was despicable,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sarcone said in the release.
State oversight and the bigger picture
New York’s Medicaid watchdog has made assisted living programs an ongoing focus for audits and fraud prevention, with an eye toward catching misuse of public benefits and protecting residents. The New York State Office of the Medicaid Inspector General’s 2025 work plan highlights the use of advanced analytics and targeted audits for assisted living providers and broader compliance efforts, according to OMIG…