A Glen Head woman was arrested for defrauding the government of COVID-19 relief checks, the Nassau County Police Department said.
According to detectives, a joint investigation conducted by the Sixth Squad and United States postal inspectors led to the arrest of Lisa Buchanan, 41, of 139 Glen Head Road, on Nov. 17.
Police said that Buchanan was involved in “numerous fraudulent transactions in excess of $179,500” that included fraudulently receiving Small Business Administration loans and COVID-19 relief program checks.
Buchanan was reported to have been located by detectives at her residence, at which time, police said, they found that she was exposing her two sons, ages 5 and 13, to “deplorable living conditions inside the home.”
“Detectives notified New York State Child Protective Services and had the children removed with another family member to another residence, and Buchanan was placed into police custody,” police said in a statement.
The investigation is ongoing.
Buchanan is charged with grand larceny in the second degree, criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree, three counts of endangering the welfare of a child, two counts of identity theft and unlawful possession of personal identification in the third degree.
Buchanan was arraigned in First District Court in Hempstead last Wednesday, and while no defense attorney was listed on the New York State Unified Court System’s database, Buchanan is expected to return to court in Hempstead on Dec. 9.
