A county Social Services employee in New York who was responsible for helping administer public assistance is now accused of using that access to obtain benefits for herself.
Amber Tibbetts, 37, of Jamestown, has been indicted after authorities said she used information belonging to existing Social Services clients to issue SNAP benefit cards directly to herself. Investigators also allege that cash assistance was stolen as part of the scheme.
According to the Chautauqua County District Attorney’s Office, Tibbetts faces six counts of first-degree tampering with public records, six counts of second-degree forgery, four counts of second-degree identity theft, three counts of petit larceny and one count of fourth-degree corrupting the government.
County officials have not disclosed the total amount of benefits allegedly taken. They did say the investigation involves multiple victims and multiple transactions.
Another county employee, described as a senior caseworker, was also charged in connection with the investigation. That employee faces a charge of fifth-degree welfare fraud, although officials have not publicly released the person’s name.
County Executive P.J. Wendel expressed frustration that the allegations involved workers inside the county system.
“I apologize that these were two employees,” Wendel said Wednesday. “They took advantage of our most vulnerable population, and it’s very unfortunate.”
Wendel said fraud involving public benefits is something officials have encountered before, but allegations involving county employees made the situation different.
“We’ve seen this more in public, but this is one of the first times we’ve seen it with an in-house situation,” he said. “We’ve done our homework. We’ve done our due diligence. The system will work. Justice will play out.”
The investigation involved the Department of Mental Hygiene and Social Services’ Program Integrity Unit, the Chautauqua County District Attorney’s Office and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office.
In a county news release, officials said Tibbetts is accused of using her position within the Department of Social Services to fraudulently obtain temporary assistance funds from the county. Authorities allege she used information belonging to current Social Services clients to create or issue benefit cards for her own use.
The investigation reportedly began after two clients contacted Social Services because they noticed suspicious activity involving their benefit cards. Those complaints prompted officials to look more closely at the transactions.
Tibbetts had worked for Chautauqua County government since 2022, according to the Post-Journal.
Officials have remained guarded about the amount of money involved. When First Assistant District Attorney Tom Rankin was asked how much Tibbetts allegedly obtained, he declined to provide a specific figure.
“I’m reluctant to give you a specific amount, but I can say she’s been charged with felonies for a reason,” Rankin said.
Wendel later addressed the case on Facebook, saying protecting taxpayer money and maintaining confidence in county government are serious responsibilities.
He said the investigation showed why internal oversight matters, noting that the Program Integrity Unit reviewed the concerns and worked with law enforcement and prosecutors as the case developed.
“This is accountability working as it should: concerns are reported, they are investigated, and appropriate action is taken through established processes,” Wendel wrote.
