Social Services Worker Charged In New York
A New York county employee whose job placed her inside the government benefits system is now accused of exploiting that access to obtain benefits for herself.
Amber Tibbetts, 37, of Jamestown, New York, has been indicted on multiple charges after authorities alleged that she used information belonging to Social Services clients to issue benefit cards directly to herself.
Tibbetts worked for Chautauqua County and had been employed by county government since 2022, according to the Post-Journal.
Authorities allege the scheme involved Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, commonly known as SNAP, as well as temporary assistance funds. Cash was also stolen, according to the Chautauqua County District Attorney's Office.
Tibbetts now faces six counts of first-degree tampering with public records, six counts of second-degree forgery, four counts of second-degree identity theft, three counts of petit larceny and one count of fourth-degree corrupting the government.
Officials have declined to disclose the total value of the allegedly stolen benefits. They have, however, said the case involves “multiple victims” and “multiple transactions.”
First Assistant District Attorney Tom Rankin offered another indication that authorities consider the allegations serious.
“I’m reluctant to give you a specific amount, but I can say she’s been charged with felonies for a reason,” Rankin said.
According to a Chautauqua County news release, Tibbetts is accused of “using her position within the Department of Social Services to fraudulently obtain temporary assistance funds from the County.”
More specifically, authorities allege she “used existing Social Service clients’ information to issue benefit cards directly to herself.”
The alleged activity began attracting attention when two clients noticed something was wrong.
“The investigation was initiated after two of the victims contacted Social Services to report suspicious activity on their benefits card,” the county said.
That triggered an investigation involving the Department of Mental Hygiene and Social Services' Program Integrity Unit, the Chautauqua County District Attorney's Office and the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office.
The case also extends beyond Tibbetts.
Authorities said a second county employee, identified only as a senior case worker, was charged with fifth-degree welfare fraud. Officials have not publicly released that employee's name.
County Executive P.J. Wendel acknowledged the uncomfortable reality of having two government employees accused in connection with the system they were employed to administer.
“I apologize that these were two employees,” Wendel said Wednesday. “They took advantage of our most vulnerable population and it’s very unfortunate.”
Wendel said the county had encountered fraud involving members of the public before, but allegations involving employees inside the operation were much less familiar.
“We’ve seen this more in public but this is one of the first times we’ve seen it with an in-house situation,” he said. “We’ve done our homework. We’ve done our due diligence. The system will work. Justice will play out.”
The accusations are particularly serious because the alleged scheme did not merely involve obtaining government money improperly. Authorities say existing clients' personal information was used in the process, potentially interfering with benefits intended for people already relying on Social Services.
Wendel said the investigation demonstrated why internal oversight is necessary.
“Protecting taxpayer dollars and maintaining public trust is a responsibility we take seriously,” he wrote on Facebook.
“Our Program Integrity Unit identified concerns, conducted a thorough review and worked with the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney’s Office as the investigation moved forward,” he added.
The charges remain allegations, and the criminal process will determine whether prosecutors can prove their case against Tibbetts.