Politics & Government

Update: Farmingdale Woman Charged in LIRR Disability Scam Released

Maria Rusin was among those who allegedly took part in a $1 billion scam for retiring LIRR workers.

A Farmingdale woman who was arrested by the FBI Thursday and accused of participating in a $1 billion disability scam for retiring LIRR workers was released on $750,000 bail Friday.

Maria Rusin was one of eight defendants who appeared in federal court in Manhattan yesterday. She was hospitalized after becoming ill during the bail hearing, an episode which prosecutors later said she faked, also claiming she gave misleading information about bank accounts and property overseas.

Rusin, 55, was the office manager of Peter Ajemian, an orthopedist who is accused of helping more than 700 LIRR retirees get disability benefits from 1998 to 2008, according to the federal criminal complaint. Ajemian was employed at a Rockville Centre-based practice until his termination in late 2008. He currently operates a practice in Baldwin.

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The case grew out of a New York Times investigation in 2008 that reported a very high number of retiring workers winning claims of work-related injuries to boost their pensions.

Court documents accused them of scamming the retirement system by filing false claims of injuries so they could collect an extra benefit from the Railroad Retirement Board.

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"The defendants and their co-conspirators participated in a massive fraud scheme in which LIRR workers who were ready to retire falsely claimed to be disabled," federal authorities charged in a 74-page criminal complaint.

Specifically, the complaint stated Ajemian recommended "at least 734 LIRR employees for disability," and that Rusin was his office manager "in a succession of practices" since 2000. She retired in 2009 and "began receiving social security disability benefits in or about late 2009."

Her lawyer, Robert DiDio, said she suffered an anxiety attack Thursday and that the she is going to plead not guilty.

LIRR President Helena Williams said the organization "condemns any fraudulent activity associated with federal disability pension benefits."

"In August 2008 when the LIRR became aware of the high rate of LIRR retiree applications, the LIRR asked the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) IG and the MTA IG to investigate."


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