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Office of the District Attorney P. David Soares Mother-Daughter Team Indicted ALBANY , NY – District Attorney P. David Soares today announced that KAREN NOE, 36, and KAREN HOOKS, 53, of Coeymans, NY, were arraigned in front of Honorable Dan Lamont. NOE and Hooks were both arraigned on (1) count of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the 1st Degree, (1) count of Grand Larceny in the 3rd Degree and (1) count of Welfare Fraud in the 3rd Degree. They each face up to seven years in prison. The defendants were arrested after an investigation conducted by the Coeymans Police Department found that the defendants illegally received benefits from the Coeymans Section 8 Program when they failed to inform the program they were related as mother, HOOKS, and daughter, NOE, and as sisters, NOE and VAN ALSTYNE. Family members are not eligible for rental assistance under the Section 8 program, unless certain conditions exist within the family. “Crimes that threaten the quality of life for the citizens of Coeymans will not be tolerated, and those found guilty of these crimes will be punished to the full extent of the law,” stated Coeymans Police Chief Darlington. The indictment alleges that on March 2, 2003, KAREN NOE, knowing that a written application for the Town of Coeymans Section 8 Program contained false information, in that the defendant certified that she was not a relative of Wendy Van Alstyne, and with the intent to defraud the Town of Coeymans, offered the written application to a public servant with the knowledge of belief that it would be filed with a public servant. Between March 1, 2003 and June 30, 2006 NOE is alleged to have stolen $21,487 from the Town of Coeymans Section 8 Program. The indictment further alleges that on November 29 th, 2005, KAREN HOOKS, knowing that a written application for the Town of Coeymans Section 8 Program contained false information, in that the defendant omitted the fact that she is the mother of her tenant KAREN NOE, and with the intent to defraud the Town of Coeymans, offered the written application to a public servant with the knowledge of belief that it would be filed with a public servant. Between January 1, 2006 and June 30, 2006 HOOKS is alleged to have stolen $3,184 from the Town of Coeymans Section 8 Program. NOE and HOOKS are both accused of submitting a fraudulent application to obtain housing assistance and receiving $3,184 of housing assistance from the Town of Coeymans Section 8 Program between November 29, 2005 and June 30, 2006. The third defendant, Wendy Van Alstyne, will be arraigned tomorrow in front of the Honorable Dan Lamont. ADA Sean Childs of the Financial Crimes Unit is handling the prosecution of this case. For more information, please contact Heather Streeter Orth. # # # For further information contact: Heather Streeter Orth
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