http://www.nj.com/ocean/index.ssf/2017/07/12_more_lakewood_residents_charged_in_massive_welf.htmlLAKEWOOD -- Twelve more Lakewood residents were charged Thursday as the massive sweep targeting welfare fraud totaling millions of dollars continues to widen, officials said.
The defendants are all charged with theft by deception and are accused of misrepresenting income to receive benefits from government programs such as Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (better known as food stamps), and a Home Energy Assistance Program that helps low-income families pay the cost to heat their homes.
Since Monday morning, 14 people have been arrested in a joint state-federal investigation
As with the previous 14 people arrested, the dozen charged on Thursday are couples. However, they were not arrested by authorities in a series of raids. Al Della Fave, a spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office,
said the residents were hand-delivered the complaint summonses early Thursday morning with letters on how to turn themselves into authorities. The 12 people handed summonses must report no later than Tuesday 
, Della Fave said.
A statement from Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato and state Comptroller Philip James Degnan identified those charged as:
Eliezer, 33, and Elkie, 31, Sorotzkin are accused of wrongfully collecting approximately $74,960 in Medicaid benefits from January 2011 and December 2013.
Samuel, 45, and Esther, 44, Serhofer are accused of illegally obtaining $72,685 in Medicaid benefits between January 2009 and December 2013.
Yisroel, 37, and Rachel, 34, Merkin allegedly illegally collected approximately $70,557 in Medicaid, SNAP and HEAP benefits between January 2011 and December 2014.
Jerome Menchel, 33, and Mottel Friedman, 30, are accused of collecting $63,839 in Medicaid and SNAP benefits between January 2011 and July 2014.
Tzvi, 35, and Estee, 34, Braun allegedly collected $62,746 in illegal benefits from Medicaid, HEAP and Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund (CICRF) between January 2009 and December 2013.
Moseh, 30, and Nechama, 27, Hirschmann are accused of wrongfully collecting $53,418 in Medicaid and SNAP benefits from January 2011 and December 2015.
The recent charges bring the total amount of illegally obtained benefits to well over $2 million. Twenty-six Lakewood residents have been charged since June 26 in the joint federal, state and county crackdown.
Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
