NEW YORK WELFARE FRAUD INVESTIGATORS ASSOCIATION 33rd ANNUAL TRAINING SEMINAR
SEMINAR AGENDA
Sunday, June 5th, 2016
3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Registration Olympic Pre-Function
6:15 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. NYWFIA Board Meeting Executive Board and Regional Representatives
Kate Smith Library
8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Networking Reception Grandview
Monday - June 6th, 2016
7:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Breakfast Mackenzie’s
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Registration
Olympic Pre-Function
9:00 a.m. –10:00 a.m. Welcoming Remarks Olympic 1-2
John Melville, NYWFIA President
10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Break and Vendor Exhibits
Pool Atrium
10:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. General Session Olympic 1-2
11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Break Out Sessions
Recipient Trafficking Olympic 3 Fraud 101 Olympic 4 CCPI Forum Skyroom
12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Luncheon Grandview Keynote Address:
Bedros L. Boodanian Deputy Commissioner Office of Program Accountability IREA
2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. Break Out Sessions IPV’s and Reporting Olympic 3 Representing Agency in FH Olympic 4 Computer Matches Skyroom
3:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Break and Vendor Exhibits 3:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Break Out Sessions IPV’s and Reporting Olympic 3
Representing Agency in FH Olympic 4 Criminal Investigations Skyroom
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Monday Night Activity Bar- B -Que Lake Placid Club
8:30 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. Networking Reception Grandview
Tuesday – June 7th , 2016
7:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Breakfast Mackenzie’s
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Registration Olympic Pre-Function
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Break Out Sessions Recipient Trafficking Olympic 3
Computer Matches Olympic 4 Fraud 101 Skyroom
10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Break Pool Atrium
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Annual Business Meeting & Elections Olympic 1-2
12:00. – 1:30 p.m. Lunch – On Your Own
1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Break Out Sessions OCFS Disqualification Roadmap Olympic 3 TA Overpayments and Recoveries Olympic 4 CCPI Forum Skyroom
1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Concurrent Session Regional Fraud Directors Meeting Olympic 1-2
2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Break Pool Atrium
3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. General Session Mock Trial Presented by Olympic 1-2
6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Pre-Banquet Reception ADK Great Room
7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Annual Association Banquet Grandview
Keynote Speaker –
Kevin Kehmna
Director of Audit & Quality Improvement
Wednesday - June 8th, 2016
7:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Breakfast Mackenzie’s
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Registration Olympic Pre-Function
9:00 a.m. – Noon CWFI – Certified Welfare Fraud Investigator Exam (2-3 hours) High Peaks Room
Administered by Larry Pittz, Director of Program Integrity in the Office of Audit & Quality Improvement.
To be eligible to take this exam, you must pre-register with UCOWF at:
www.ucowf.net
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Break Out Sessions OCFS Disqualification Roadmap Olympic 3 TA Overpayments and Recoveries Olympic 4 State Police Computer Presentation Skyroom
10:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Break Pool Atrium
10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. General Session Olympic 1-2
Roundtable Discussions IPV’s TOP/Lottery Computer Matches FEDS Snap Trafficking
Seminar Concludes
12:45 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Executive & Regional Representatives Board Meeting Kate Smith Library
All newly elected board members and regional representatives are strongly encouraged to attend.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Calculation and Recovery of Temporary Assistance Overpayments Using WMS Presenters: Lauren Ford and Peter Kircher, Professional Development Program This session will review job tasks associated with the calculation and recovery of Temporary Assistance (TA) overpayments. Topics will include: review of TA Recoupment/Claim Types, identification of the overpayment period, calculation of the overpayment amount, and procedures for recovering overpayments from active cases using WMS ABEL. In addition, there will be a review of the BICS screens used to determine the amount of assistance received as well as the LDSS-4778, Calculation of Total Overpayment. This session is appropriate for Welfare Fraud Investigators involved in identifying, calculating, and establishing TA overpayments, as well as for supervisors who review and approve cases with TA overpayments.
CWFI Examination Administered by Larry Pittz, Director of Program Integrity in the Office of Audit & Quality Improvement. The application to take the CWFI exam can be found in the Member Services section of the UCOWF website, www.UCOWF.net, and should be submitted electronically to Paula Kingery at [email protected] no later than two weeks prior to the conference. Payment in advance would also be helpful. Qualifications In order to apply for the Certified Welfare Fraud Investigator (CWFI) examination, you must meet the following qualifications/criteria:
be a UCOWF member in good standing; be a current and full time investigator, supervisor, administrator, etc. who is also
involved in fraud investigation activities; have a minimum of two years of ongoing, continuous experience in public assistance
fraud investigations; in the case of employment by a state or province whose welfare delivery system is
state-supervised and locally administered, spend 50% or more of your time in fraud investigation activities (i.e. FPI or back-end fraud investigations). Other duties must be fraud control related. It is required that you have worked in that capacity continuously for two years at the time of application;
agree to perform all professional duties in accordance with applicable government standards (e.g. Government Auditing Standards as published by the U.S. Comptroller General);
complete the CWFI Certification Exam and; agree to obey all federal, state and local laws and the UCOWF Code of Ethics.
The testing fee for the CWFI Exam is $15. Applicants will be notified if they meet the Board's qualifications for a certification. If applicants do not meet the qualifications for a certification, their testing fee will be refunded to them.
Child Care Program Integrity (CCPI) technical solution: An Open Forum
Jim Hart, OCFS and Rob Hops, Controltec
This session is designed for child care subsidy fraud investigators and users of the Child Care Program Integrity (CCPI) technical solution. During this session, after a brief overview of the system, we would like to have an open forum discussion regarding the successes, frustrations, or recommendations that you have regarding this system. We want to make CCPI a valuable tool for you, so your input is requested.
Welfare Fraud Investigations 101: Identifying Basic Techniques and Tools Essential to Conducting a Successful Welfare Fraud Investigation Jessica Silver, NYSOIG Using real case examples, we will identify the most common welfare fraud schemes, specific tools available to investigate welfare fraud cases, and basic-but-essential investigative steps necessary to prove or disprove an allegation of fraud. This presentation is geared towards investigators new to welfare fraud cases or experienced investigators looking to brush up on their skills.
IPV’s and Reporting
Rebecca Lynch and Stephen Bach - NYS OTDA This session will stress the importance of reporting IPV’s timely and accurately. We will also discuss eDRS and its recent changes as well as the revisions to the USDA FNS 366-B report and how that may impact local districts. Fraud Directors Meeting
Open to any local fraud director. Interested fraud directors should RSVP to J. Melville (585-753-6356 or [email protected]) or First Vice President Judy Gardner (585-786-8900 or [email protected] ) by 5/15/16. This session will offer fraud directors the opportunity to speak to each other about plans and goals, and will include NYS OTDA officials on hand to answer any questions regarding planning, state initiatives, and upcoming changes.
Ending Fraud: A Road Map To The Finish Line Rhonda Duffney, OCFS and Laurie Fregeau, Saratoga DSS This presentation will focus on how investigators can establish a clear, regulatory basis for holding child care providers and clients accountable for committing child care subsidy fraud and how that process might look. This session will also include experiences and strategies used in child care subsidy fraud investigations. There will be an opportunity to ask questions or to share your experiences about your investigations involving child care subsidy fraud. Criminal Investigation - Back to the Basics.
Dennis Moessner, NYSP This presentation will refocus on the Investigation process from inception to presentation to the prosecuting Attorney Basics of the interview process and potential evasions by the subject you are debriefing will be addressed. Finally, capturing the statements of your witness/ defendant ethically and in a legally sound manner for court presentation will be covered.
Open Sources: The Use of Computers in Fraud Investigations. Mark Brown, NYSP
The State Police Computer Crime Unit presentation will focus on the capabilities of the unit and the services we offer as well as contact information for personnel in all areas of the state. The presentation will then teach attendees how to use the internet to find people using search engines, data brokers, social media sites, and other sites specifically designed to help fill in the gaps in a welfare fraud investigation.
Recipient Trafficking
Rebecca Lynch, Tim Bergstrom, and Stephen Bach - NYS OTDA This session will provide an in-depth look into pursuing IPV’s for recipients that are trafficking their SNAP benefits at retailers that have been disqualified by USDA FNS. The program will contain suggestions for compiling a packet for an Administrative Hearing as well as a look into the data metrics used to identify these individuals.
Representing Your Agency at Fair Hearings Sam Spitzberg, Paul Ryan, Marc Isaacs, OTDA OAH, and Deanna Cooper, PDP Welfare Fraud Investigators generally testify at Administrative Disqualification Hearings. In some social services districts, they may also serve as the Agency Representative who presents their district’s case at fair hearings. This session will cover the basics that investigators need to know when representing their agencies at fair hearings. Topics will include: an overview of the fair hearing process, basic rules of evidence, the burden of persuasion, standards of proof, tips for effective testimony, and professional decorum. This session is appropriate for new Welfare Fraud Investigators who represent their agencies in fair hearings. Experienced investigators interested in refresher training are also encouraged to participate.
Round Table Discussion Roundtables allow participants to interact with presenters on select subjects in a short (5 minute) topic presentation followed by short discussion. (It has been described as the training equivalent of speed dating.) We have set up the following topics and presenters from OTDA:
TOP/Lottery Match FEDS Lauren Mathews & Erin Whitney Karen Stern & Robert Antonacci
IPV’s Computer Matches Rebecca Lynch & Rebecca Schoonmaker Robert Barkley & Ellen Miller
SNAP Trafficking
Stephen Bach & Tim Bergstrom
Presenters and Speakers
SPEAKERS Catherine Leahy Scott
Catherine Leahy Scott was appointed New York State Inspector General in May 2013 by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. Ms. Scott’s office has authority over 200 state agencies, authorities, boards and commissions, covering more than 200,000 employees who work in the executive branch of state government to combat fraud, waste, abuse and conflicts of interest. Currently, her office has oversight over the $3.9 billion New New York Bridge project. Inspector General Scott, as the independent investigatory agency designated by the New York State Commission on Forensic Science, conducts investigations into allegations of serious negligence or misconduct of 23 laboratories across New York State. Additionally, Inspector General Scott is the Chair of the Stimulus Oversight Panel and is charged with conducting investigations of fraud and abuse relating to $31 billion provided to New York State through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and ensuring these federal funds are properly accounted for and expended on programs designated to boost New York State’s economy.
In October 2012 Inspector General Scott was appointed Acting Welfare Inspector General by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, charged with rooting out waste, fraud and abuse in New York State’s social services programs.
Previously, Inspector General Scott served as the Acting Inspector General and First Deputy Inspector General. Ms. Scott served as an Assistant Attorney General for New York State, investigating and prosecuting criminal matters with an emphasis on white-collar fraud and public integrity cases. In addition Ms. Scott served over thirteen years at the Columbia County District Attorney’s Office, eight of which as Chief Assistant District Attorney. In that role, Ms. Scott investigated and prosecuted all levels of crimes, created new and innovative court-affiliated drug treatment programs, and supervised all prosecutors working within the office. During that time, Ms. Scott was appointed to the New York State Committee for Establishing Protocols for Forensic Child Interview.
Ms. Scott also served as a Columbia County Assistant Public Defender, and worked in the general practice of law as a sole practitioner in Columbia County. Inspector General Scott received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Hofstra University, where she was named Hofstra University’s Woman of the Year, and her law degree from the Hofstra University School of Law. Ms. Scott is married over 25 years to Michael Scott and has two children, Megan, 22, and Michael, 15.
Kevin Kehmna
Kevin has been the Director of Audit & Quality Improvement (AQI) at the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) since 2010, leading the bureau responsible for Program Integrity, Social Services District and contractor audits, SNAP Quality Control and TANF-MOE Data Reporting. AQI currently has approximately 135 staff located in six offices throughout NYS. Prior to becoming AQI Director, Kevin worked for several years as an auditor with both OTDA and the NYS Health Insurance Program. Kevin has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master of Science degree in Taxation from SUNY-Albany. Before moving to NY, Kevin served in the US Army as a Cavalry Scout Sergeant, stationed in Ansbach, Germany.
Janice M. Molnar, Ph.D. Dr. Molnar is the Deputy Commissioner of the Division of Child Care Services in the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). Prior to joining OCFS in September 2007, she held a number of positions in the public and non-profit sectors, including the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, where she was Deputy Commissioner for Program Operations; the Atlantic Philanthropies; the Ford Foundation; Bank Street College of Education; and others. Throughout her career, she has concentrated on program and policy issues affecting children, youth, and families. Trained as a developmental psychologist, Janice has a background in research and evaluation, and has experience in organizational development and organizational learning, cross-sector planning and process facilitation, and evaluation and assessment of educational and human service activities both in the U.S. and internationally. Janice earned a B.A. from Northwestern University and holds a Ph.D. from Cornell University, where her dissertation focused on the impacts of different kinds of child care arrangements on selected indicators of child development.
PRESENTERS
Bob Antonacci Bob started his state career with the Department of Taxation and Finance in 2001. He worked in the Personal Income Tax section of the Taxpayer Contact Center for six years. In 2007, he accepted an offer to join OTDA as a Management Specialist trainee. His primary responsibility was to oversee the Lottery Intercept Match but he was also involved in the Cost Avoidance initiative, the e-Batch portion of the NDND project, and the AccuriZ program. July 2014, he was promoted to a Management Specialist 2 and assumed responsibility of the Front End Detection System (FEDS) and the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH) match. Bob earned an Associates of Science degree in Business Administration from Hudson Valley Community College and a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Management from the State University of New York at Albany, School of Business.
Stephen Bach Stephen Bach has worked at the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance in the Program Integrity Unit since October of 2001. For his first 3 years, he was the Project Coordinator for the AFIS Project. For the past 12 years, Stephen has been the Project Coordinator for the PARIS, Prison, and Felon Matches. He served as a point of contact and worked closely with the local Social Service Districts to resolve all matches. His current responsibilities include providing specialized fraud trainings and presentations to local districts; managing the IPV, lottery, web fraud, and EBT out of state matches; as well as being the SLEB (State Law Enforcement Bureau) Program Manager for NYS OTDA. He works in conjunction with the USDA and local law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute SNAP trafficking. He has also been an active member of the National PARIS Board of Directors for 10 years where he serves as its secretary. Stephen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from the State University of New York at Albany.
Tim Bergstrom Tim Bergstrom has worked at the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance in the Program Integrity Unit since May 2015. He has responsibility for EBT fraud referrals, assisting with the Quarterly Fraud Report and eDRS (Electronic Disqualified Recipient System) in the Welfare Management System. Prior to state service he worked in the insurance industry as a commercial underwriter and business analyst. Tim earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business, Management and Economics from State University of New York Empire State College and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Community and Economic Development at State University of New York Empire State College.
Technical Lieutenant Mark A. Brown Mark is the Lab Manager for 10 NY State Police Computer Forensic Labs, a job he has done since 2012. Among his extensive background in Computer forensics, he is an Instructor at NYSP Academy on Search Warrant Writing and Computer Crime related coursework to include Social Media Investigations and Exploitation and Using the Internet to Enhance Investigations. He is also qualified as a Lead Instructor at the NYSP Cyber Crimes Specialist Program. He earned his Bachelor of Sciences Degree in Applied Economics and Management in 1984 from Cornell University and received his Master’s Degree in Community Services Administration in1994 from Alfred University. He has served with the State Police for 27 Years.
Rhonda Duffney Rhonda is the Director of the Child Care Subsidy Program in the Division of Child Care Services for the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. Ms. Duffney works with counsel’s office in developing child care subsidy regulation and policy, provides technical assistance to local social services districts and is a member of the Child Care Time and Attendance team. Previously, Ms. Duffney worked with the New York State Child Abuse and Maltreatment Register. Ms. Duffney is a graduate of State University of New York at Oswego.
Lauren Ford Lauren is an Education Specialist with the Professional Development Program of Rockefeller College at the University at Albany. She received her Master of Social Work and Bachelor of Social Welfare from the University at Albany. Lauren is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), and has experience working in the human services field, primarily serving low-income Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) communities. Prior to coming to PDP, Lauren worked as an LGBTQ Health Specialist where she developed and delivered training to promote LGBTQ cultural competency and inclusion for various community service agencies. She also worked directly with social services district clients as a case manager and psychotherapist. Lauren came to PDP in 2014. She is currently working with team members to deliver the following training programs: SNAP Training Institute, Case Processing Review Training for NTA-SNAP Supervisors, SNAP Reporting Requirements and Claim Determinations Training, Processing Expedited SNAP Benefits, UIB Budgeting and RFI Refresher Training, Welfare Fraud Investigator Training Institute, Effective TA & SNAP Case Record Documentation Training, Mental Health Awareness Training, and traditional classroom and virtual classroom training programs on related topics to state and social service district staff throughout New York State. Lauren is also working with team members to update established classroom and e-learning programs.
Laurie Fregeau
Laurie is a Senior Social Service Investigator with the Saratoga County DSS. Started her investigative career in 1991 as a Child Support Investigator and moved to the Special Investigations Unit in 1995. In 1998 became Supervisor the Special Investigations Unit for the Agency. Laurie is also the supervisor of the Child Care Unit of Saratoga County DSS, and has been in this role since 2004. Laurie is a former NYWFIA Board member where she served as Treasure for 10 years.
Jim Hart Jim Hart is the Director of Regional Operations of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Division of Child Care Services. In this role, Jim oversees the seven OCFS-DCCS regional offices, the Home Office Regional Office Support Unit and related management activities regarding regional operations. Prior to holding this position, Jim served as the Manager of the Regional Office Support Unit, providing support and technical assistance to the regional offices and overseeing enforcement and policy. Jim’s career in regulated child care began as a child care licensor and then moved on to several supervisory roles with responsibilities including the safety assessment/criminal history review process and liaison of the Child Care Facility System database. Jim has been the program lead for the development and implementation of the Child Care Program Integrity (CCPI) technical solution. Jim is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University.
Robert Hops, PMP Rob has been working for Controltec for the past 12 years. He has deployed dozens of county level installations of KinderTrack, Controltec’s flagship software solution for child care subsidy management, in California, Virginia, Ohio and New York. Rob was the Project Manager for the statewide Iowa CCMIS (Childcare Management Information System), as well as the statewide New York CCTA (Childcare Time and Attendance) system. He is currently the project manager for the New York Program Integrity system. During his 12+ years working with child care subsidy agencies, Rob has become intimately familiar with New York State subsidized childcare business rules and regulations, as well as helping to define the business logic for the KinderTrack payment calculator. Rob became a certified Project Management Professional in March of 2012. He lives in a suburb of Rochester New York.
Marc Isaacs Marc Isaacs is a Principal Hearing Officer for OTDA Office of Administrative Hearings. He is a member of the senior management team with responsibilities including supervision of the Albany, Long Island and Buffalo regions and the scheduling of statewide hearings. Mr. Isaacs is a former Assistant District Attorney and also was in private practice. He received a B.A. from University of Rochester, a J.D. from New York Law School and an LL.M. in Tax Law from New York University. Brian Kees Office – 315-422-4039; cel#917-282-8952; [email protected] Brian has been a Special Agent with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General since 1997 and has been assigned to Syracuse office since 2000. Brian conduct investigations of alleged or suspected violations of Federal law, particularly as they pertain to the programs and operations of the Department. As sworn Federal law enforcement officers, Special Agents carry firearms, make arrests, and conduct searches. The Syracuse office has two investigators that cover the Northern and Western counties of New York State.
Peter Kircher
Peter is a Senior Education Specialist with the Professional Development Program of Rockefeller College at the University at Albany. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University at Albany. Peter has over 30 years of experience delivering training programs to state and social services district audiences throughout New York State. He is the recipient of the 2011 PDP Executive Director’s Award and the 2005 National Staff Development and Training Association’s Distinguished Service in Training Award. Peter is also a Development Dimensions International (DDI) certified trainer. Peter came to the Professional Development Program in 1981, first working as a trainer and subject matter expert for public assistance programs. Prior to this, Peter was a Social Welfare Examiner in a social services district for seven years. Over the years, Peter’s areas of specialization have included regulatory/policy review and interpretation and implementation of performance-based training programs for Temporary Assistance, SNAP, Welfare Fraud Investigations, and Child Care workers. In past years, Peter served PDP as the project leader for the Institute for Temporary Assistance Programs and the former Food Stamp Worker Training Institute. Peter was also a key member of the project teams that developed the Child Care Subsidy Training Program, Domestic Violence Liaison Training Institute, Case Processing Review Training for NYC HRA Supervisors, Advanced Audit Institute, TA Budgeting and Coding, and the award winning Welfare Fraud Investigator Training Institute, among a number of other classroom and e-learning programs. Peter also spent nine years supervising training and development staff implementing a variety of NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance training initiatives. Peter is currently working with team members to develop and deliver traditional and virtual classroom training and e-learning programs related to Temporary Assistance, SNAP, Audit and Quality Improvement initiatives, and various employment and economic supports topics to state and social services district staff throughout New York State. This includes serving as the project leader for FEDS Training, training team leader for TA Overpayments, Recoupments, and Claims, and curriculum leader for UIB Budgeting and RFI Refresher Training.
Rebecca Lynch Rebecca Lynch has worked at the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance since October 2006. For the first five years, she was with the Eligibility and Quality Assurance Unit in OTDA’s Bureau of Audit and Quality Improvement. She then joined the Program Integrity Unit in June 2012. Her current responsibilities include providing specialized fraud trainings and presentations to local districts; managing the Quarterly Fraud Report and eDRS (Electronic Disqualified Recipient System); and working with the SLEB (State Law Enforcement Bureau) Program, EBT Fraud Investigations, PI Training Initiatives, and the Treasury Offset Program (TOP). Rebecca has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Hobart and William Smith College and holds a Masters of Business Administration degree from Union Graduate College.
Lauren Mathews Lauren Mathews has worked at the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance since December 2012. For the first three years, she was the Automated Finger Imaging System (AFIS) Project Coordinator within the Program Integrity Unit in OTDA’s Bureau of Audit and Quality Improvement (A&QI). In that position, she served as the primary point of contact for local Social Services Districts to resolve all AFIS matters. Since August 2015, she has been the Treasury Offset Program (TOP) Coordinator, where she serves as the New York State representative with the Federal Government for all TOP related matters, as well as the TOP liaison between A&QI and the local district offices. Lauren holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Bentley University.
Senior Investigator Dennis J. Moessner New York State Police
Sr. Investigator Moessner has over 33 years of service with the New York State Police. Since 2001 Sr. Inv. Moessner has been assigned to the NYSP, Academy in Albany, NY responsible for curriculum development and implementation of In-Service Training for NYSP Investigators and Troopers Statewide. Prior to that, he was assigned to Troop G Headquarters Violent Crimes Investigation Team for 7 years as an Investigator where he was responsible for case management and investigation of homicide and high profile cases in the ten counties surrounding the Capital District.He also worked as a an Investigator in Fishkill & Guilderland, NY and as a Uniform Trooper In Albany & Syracuse N.Y. where he conducted complaint investigation, patrol, and interstate highway traffic enforcement.
Sr. Inv. Moessner has a Master of Arts/Public Administration from Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY with an undergraduate degree from SUNY Oneonta.
Kelly Phillips
Kelly Phillips is a Senior Attorney at the Office of Children and Family Services, Bureau of Child Welfare Services where she provides legal counsel to staff in the Division of Child Care Services. Before joining OCFS she worked as an attorney for the Albany County Department for Children, Youth and Families representing the county on child protective matters in Family Court.
Jessica E. Silver In September 2014, Ms. Silver was named the Deputy Inspector General for Welfare by Acting New York State Welfare Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott. Ms. Silver has spent the entirety of her twelve-year career in law enforcement, beginning as an Assistant District Attorney in Queens County, where she specialized in prosecuting domestic violence and violent felony offenses. Thereafter, Ms. Silver served as an Assistant Attorney General in the New York State Attorney General’s Public Integrity Bureau, where she investigated and prosecuted complex white collar and public corruption cases. In 2010, Ms. Silver joined the New York State Inspector General’s Office, serving as Investigative Counsel, where she continued to investigate public corruption cases. Ms. Silver was the lead attorney on the Inspector General’s Investigation into the Nassau County Police Department’s Forensic Evidence Bureau and led the Inspector General’s inquiry into the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner Forensic Biology Department in December 2013. In April 2011, Ms. Silver was promoted to Administrative and Special Investigative Counsel where she reported to the Special Deputy Inspector General. Ms. Silver’s responsibilities included oversight of the Inspector General’s New York City regional office while maintaining a case load of public corruption and public assistance fraud cases. In her new position as Deputy Inspector General for Welfare, Ms. Silver has been implementing Acting Welfare Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott’s expansion of the Office of the Welfare Inspector General’s investigatory, oversight and enforcement efforts to a state-wide presence.
Rebecca Schoonmaker Rebecca Schoonmaker is new to the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Program Integrity Unit (February 2016). She is on the receiving end of the monthly IPV reporting emails from each county and hopes to become a valuable resource for Fraud Investigators throughout the state. Prior to her state service she was the Clubhouse Manager at Normanside Country Club, overseeing the events, restaurant, membership and staff. Rebecca has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Florida, Tampa and a Master of Fine Arts degree from State University of New York at Albany.
Samuel L. Spitzberg, Esq. Samuel is the Director of the Office of Administrative Hearings within the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. In this role, Sam leads a team of approximately 350 people who are responsible for Intake, Scheduling, Coordinating with Local Districts, Fair Hearings, Compliance, Operations, and Training. Sam received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University at Albany, State University of New York and law degree from Hofstra University School of Law. Sam worked in the private sector for five years before joining the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. In the Army, Sam served one tour in Iraq and attained the rank of Major. Since leaving active military duty, Sam worked with several State agencies including the Office of Medicaid Inspector General, Division of Veterans’ Affairs, and the Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities. He is licensed in New York and Georgia.
Karen Stern Karen Stern began her career with OTDA as a contractor in the Program Integrity Unit for the AFIS Project in 2003 where she developed the quarterly Performance Measurements reports and worked with a Team on the recipient fraud matches. For the next 7 ½ years, Karen worked in A&QI’s Technical Systems Audit Unit as the Recipient Fraud Matching System (RFMS) Project Manager. During that time, she coordinated the inclusion of the Public Assistance Reporting Information System (PARIS) match, NYS Prison match, Web Fraud match, and the Out of State (EBT) match into this RFMS web application. In addition, Karen had teamed with Program Integrity on other initiatives, such as the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH) and Unemployment Insurance Benefits (UIB) matches. In June 2013, Karen returned to the Program Integrity Unit to focus her energies as Project Coordinator of the PARIS, Bordering States, and Prison matches, while retaining her role as project manager for the RFMS application. In addition, Karen is the project director for the NDNH and Front End Detection System (FEDS) matches. Prior to OTDA, Karen worked in the private sector in various computer programming and office management roles. Karen has a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from SUNY Albany. In her spare time, Karen is a Zumba instructor.
Erin Whitney Erin Whitney has worked at the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance in the Program Integrity Unit since November 2014. She is the Project Coordinator for the Lottery Intercept Match. She is the point of contact for the Social Service districts to resolve Lottery Intercepts. Prior to state service she served in the United States Coast Guard for 5 years as an Information Systems Technician. Erin earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Biology from State University of New York at Albany.
