Brooklyn service aid faces charges for alleged $157,000 section 8 fraud

December 6, 2023 Robert Abruzzese, Courthouse Editor

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. Photo by Mary Altaffer/AP

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A 56-year-old hospital service aid who earned less than $45,000 a year has been indicted for grand larceny District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced on Tuesday.

Luzmila Corbin, a 56-year-old Brooklyn resident and service aid for the Health and Hospitals Corporation NYC, was accused of illicitly obtaining more than $157,000 in Section 8 rent subsidies by concealing her employment and income from the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA).

According to the website SeeThroughNY, which tracks public employee payrolls, Corbin earned between $36,396 and $43,711 per year between 2011 and 2022, well below the median household income for Brooklyn during the same period of time. She did, however, earn extra income working overtime.

The Brooklyn District Attorney worked with the Department of Investigation to investigate Corbin. Gonzalez and DOI Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber, announced the indictment on Tuesday, and emphasized the alleged misuse of public funds intended to aid low-income New Yorkers in securing housing.

Commissioner Strauber highlighted the impact of such actions, which allegedly diverted critical resources from those in genuine need. The case, also investigated by DOI Assistant Inspector General Robert Joyce and his team.

Corbin, who began receiving Section 8 vouchers in 2001, is charged with identity theft, grand larceny, falsifying business records and multiple counts of offering a false instrument for filing in order to get housing assistance.

A “service aid” typically refers to a support role within the health care system. This position is often associated with tasks that aid in the everyday functioning of a hospital or health care facility.

It’s a role that requires a combination of interpersonal skills, a basic understanding of healthcare practices, and the ability to perform various physical tasks. Despite its critical importance in the health care system, positions like these are often among the lower-paid roles within the healthcare sector.

Corbin will return to court on Feb. 7, 2024 where she will go in front of Justice Dineen Riviezzo for sentencing.