Buffalo man gets probation for fraudulently obtaining more than $80K in welfare benefits

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A Buffalo man was given two years of probation for fraudulently obtaining more than $80,000 in social welfare benefits over a period of nearly a decade, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office said Thursday.

Rodney Jones, 60, obtained more than $9,000 in New York SNAP benefits by intentionally concealing his wife’s income on applications filed with the Erie County Department of Social Services. He filed these applications between March 2018 and February 2022.

Jones also admitted that he obtained more than $72,000 from the Social Security Administration between July 2014 and October 2023.

He pleaded guilty in November to fifth-degree welfare fraud and fourth-degree attempted grand larceny. As a part of a plea agreement, he paid full restitution of $9,707 to the Erie County Department of Social Services and $72,459 to the Social Security Administration.

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