NYS Correction Officer Indicted for Stealing Workers’ Compensation Benefits
Defendant allegedly claimed she was injured on the job and couldn’t work. IG undercover probe revealed she was earning income from her hair braiding business
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, together with New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang, today announced that a Brooklyn woman employed as a NYS Correction Officer has been arraigned on an indictment in which she is charged with grand larceny, scheme to defraud, falsifying business records and related charges for stealing approximately $43,000 in benefits over the last four years.
District Attorney Gon zalez said, “Workers’ compensation benefits exist to support those who are truly injured and unable to work—not to be exploited for personal gain. This defendant’s alleged conduct is a serious betrayal of the public trust, and we will seek to hold her fully accountable. This case sends a strong message that we will investigate and prosecute fraud wherever we find it, especially when com mitted by those sworn to uphold the law. I’m grateful to Inspector General Lang and her team, and to our prosecutors, for their work on this case.”
Inspector General Lang said, “Correction officers hold positions of public trust and should be expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity. This officer both violated that trust and undermined public confidence in her profession by fraudulently collecting workers’ compensation benefits while running a business at the same time. Thank you to my team, and to District Attorney Gonzalez and his office for their partnership in safeguarding public resources and accountability in State prisons.”
The District Attorney identified the defendant as Jahmelia Mattison John, 42, of Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. She was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Gershuny on a 23-count indictment in which she is charged with two counts of third degree grand larceny, first-degree scheme to defraud, five counts of first-degree falsifying business records, five counts of first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, five counts of penalties for fraudulent practices, and five counts of third degree insurance fraud. The defendant was released without bail and ordered to return to court on August 13, 2025.
It is alleged that between June 10, 2021 and June 6, 2025, the defendant, who is a NYS Correction Officer assigned to the Queensboro Correctional Facility at the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS), stole approximately $43,382.79 in benefits from both DOCCS and the New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF) by falsely claiming she was unable to work due to on duty injuries.
In fact, it is alleged, while collecting workers’ compensation benefits, the defendant earned income from a hair braiding business which she owned and operated. The defendant adver tised her business on social media. An under cover operation led by the NYS IG’s office allegedly recorded the defendant actively braiding the undercover’s hair – directly contradicting the defendant’s claimed disability.
The defendant has been employed as a Correction Officer for approximately 17 years.