Double-dealing detective: Ex-NYPD officer pleads guilty to disability fraud

June 30, 2023 Rob Abruzzese

New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Photo: Brittainy Newman/AP

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Former NYPD detective Andrew Albate pled guilty to fraudulently obtaining more than $156,000 in disability benefits, Attorney General Letitia James announced on Friday.

“Disability benefits are a critical lifeline and source of independence for New Yorkers who cannot otherwise earn a living wage,” said Attorney General James. “Andrew Albate falsely claimed a debilitating injury to cheat the system and steal from taxpayers and those who actually need financial support. His fraudulent scheme is an insult to those living with disabilities.”

From 2019 to 2022, 53-year-old Albate, a resident of Holbrook, Suffolk County, claimed he was incapable of work and daily activities due to injuries suffered while on duty in 2003. However, his supposed disability didn’t prevent him from running Formula One Motorsports, a successful motorcycle dealership in Oakdale, New York.

The scheme, which deceived both the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA), came crashing down thanks to a joint effort by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and the SSA’s Cooperative Disability Investigations (CDI) Unit.

While Albate continued to receive disability payments, extensive investigative evidence confirmed that he was simultaneously performing duties as a general manager of a motorcycle dealership. Albate managed the finance office, oversaw employees, and handled payroll – tasks that squarely contradict his claims of physical inability to work.

Albate’s guilty plea includes an agreement to pay full restitution of $156,000 to the SSA. If he fails to fulfill his restitution obligations by the sentencing date, he faces one year of incarceration.

“The CDI program saves taxpayers’ funds by ensuring that only those who are eligible for Social Security disability benefits receive them,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General, Social Security Administration. “I thank our law enforcement partners for working with us to investigate this fraud.”