BRANDON, Fla. – Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis today announced the recent arrest of Nadia Caraballo, 41, after a public assistance fraud investigation revealed that Caraballo submitted false applications to the Department of Children and Families in order to qualify for Food Stamps and Medicaid assistance. As a result, Caraballo fraudulently obtained more than $93,000 in public assistance benefits.

"Public assistance fraud is not a victimless crime," said CFO Jimmy Patronis. "Every dollar taken by criminals who lie to obtain public assistance they are not entitled to is a dollar not going to a family or consumer who truly needs it. This type of activity is disgustingly unfortunate."

 

CFO Patronis’ Division of Public Assistance Fraud identified that from 2012 to 2017, Caraballo completed and submitted annual applications indicating that she was unemployed and in need of supplemental nutrition and healthcare assistance.

 

The investigation revealed that Nadia Caraballo was employed by Citigroup Technology, Incorporated, from September 5, 2012 through at least November 1, 2017. Nadia Caraballo earned an annual salary of $110,000.00 to $139,050.00 and earned gross wages of $735,669.10 for the pay period of January 11, 2013 through October 20, 2017.  Caraballo failed to report this information to the Department of Children and Families.

 

As a result of her actions, Caraballo fraudulently received $40,070.00 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from January 2013 through October 2017 and $53,159.35 in Medicaid assistance from February 2013 through October 2017, for a total of $93,229.35 in assistance to which she was not legally entitled.

 

Caraballo was arrested February 22, 2018 by Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and was charged with one count of public assistance fraud. Caraballo has been placed in an Extended Pre-trial Intervention program, disqualified from participating in the Food Stamp program and ordered to make full restitution to the state.

 

This case was prosecuted by the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office, 13th Judicial Circuit.