MANALAPAN – A local couple has been charged for stealing more then $750,000, for not reporting nearly $4.5 million in taxable income, officials said.
Eli Levy and Lauren Levy, both 43-year-old residents of Manalapan, are each charged with single counts of second-degree Conspiracy, second-degree Medicaid Fraud, second-degree Tax Fraud, and third-degree False Statements Related to an Application for Medicaid Benefits, as well as five counts apiece of third-degree Failure to Pay Taxes and third-degree Filing of a Fraudulent Return.
An investigation began after a referral by the Medicaid Fraud Division (MFD) of the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller, allegedly stating that the Levy household had fraudulently received medical services and benefits through the State’s Family Care (NJFC) Medicaid Program. Investigation then grew to involve the Office of Criminal Investigation of the New Jersey Department of the Treasury.
According to officials, the couple’s personal and business banking records revealed that they intentionally omitted taxable income from their jointly filed tax returns from 2018 through 2022 – despite their companies, Supreme Cleaning Services, LLC and Nation Wide Shippers, LLC, collecting a total of approximately $4.48 million in revenue over that period.
The amount of taxes evaded, not including penalties and interest, topped $768,000, officials said.
In addition, the couple fraudulently collected more than $83,000 in medical services through NJFC from 2015 into 2019, officials said.
The duo turned themselves in to authorities without incident on October 15 and were released on summonses pending future proceedings in Monmouth County Superior Court.
Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law.
