Orange County DA to investigate New York hotel veteran’s scam allegations

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News

By Olivia Land and Bernadette Hogan

May 19, 2023 | 3:29 p.m.

In a disturbing turn of events, a group of homeless men say a well-known veterans’ advocate in the Hudson Valley area bribed them with money, food and supplies. alcohol to pretend they were ex-servicemen who had been kicked out of a hotel in favor of migrants. .

The seven unnamed men were part of a group of 15 who were recruited from a homeless shelter in Poughkeepsie to pose as traumatized veterans who were allegedly kicked out of Newburghs Crossroads Hotel, the Mid Hudson News reported on Friday.

In an interview with The Post on Friday, Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler said he plans to launch an investigation into how money from the nonprofit group linked to the alleged scam was allocated.

We just learned that about an hour ago he said allegations.

The lie was allegedly led by Sharon Toney-Finch, a decorated military veteran and director of the Yerik Israel Toney Foundation (YIT), who made headlines last week when she claimed she was forced to find the accommodation for vets after they were asked to leave the Carrefour to make way for the arrivals of migrants.

We were looking for where the money went, Hoovler said. The big thing you’re going to look at is, was the money spent for the purpose it was raised for and again, if she raised funds for veterans needs, is that is the money actually going to veterans’ needs?

Toney-Finchs came to light earlier this week when she rejected MP Brian Mahers’ demands for financial documents proving YIT funded the new veterans’ hotel stays.

The Crossroads denied that veterans associated with the nonprofit organization had ever stayed there.

One of the homeless men who say they were recruited to pose as displaced veterans.Todd Bender/MidHudsonNews.com

Maher also allegedly spoke with the 15 recruits, who told him that two people came to the shelter and said they had work for men between the ages of 40 and 60, Mid Hudson News said.

The group says they were each promised $200 plus food and alcohol in exchange for meeting with an elected official to talk about homelessness.

In a photo shared by the publication, one of the men is holding a sign demanding payment.

Sharon Toney-Finch is a decorated military veteran and director of the Yerik Israel Toney Foundation. Sharon Toney-Finch/Facebook

They said they agreed to the deal in part because one of the recruiters, Diana, had previously stayed at the shelter.

The men said they were then transported to the Daily Planet Diner in LaGrange, where Toney-Finch encouraged them to order whatever they wanted from the menu.

We ate like kings, one of the men told the outlet.

Assemblyman Brian Maher said Toney-Finch lied to him about the hotel kicking out the band. Kevin C. Downs for the NY Post

Sharon introduced herself and told us we could have whatever we wanted and she would take the bill.

After the smorgasbord, the man continued, Toney-Finch led them to a parking lot, where she told them about the meeting they were going to.

She told us to act as if we were the veterans who had been displaced. And she told us that if we were asked, we were supposed to say we were kicked out and Sharon got us rooms in Fishkill, he explained.

The Crossroads Hotel says it has no record of anyone from YIT staying there. Kevin C. Downs for NY Post

Those who did not want to answer questions were asked to respond saying I am too traumatized to talk about it, he alleged.

Although neither of the men knew exactly where the meeting took place, Mid Hudson News identified the location as the Orange County Veterans Center in New Windsor.

The outlet also identified the person who was interviewing Toney-Finch and the group about the ordeal as President and CEO of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce, Heather Bell-Meyer.

Heather Bell-Meyer reportedly demanded to meet the vets in person.

When asked by Mid Hudson News earlier this week, Bell-Meyer said Maher had asked her to tour the center and find out how it could help veterans.

She also said that she is on the advisory board of YIT.

When contacted by Mid Hudson News on Friday, however, Toney-Finch alleged that Bell-Meyer demanded to meet the allegedly displaced veterans in person.

Toney-Finch originally claimed vets were kicked out in favor of newly arrived migrants.TheImageDirect.com

Toney-Finch, who was deployed to Iraq twice during her military career, admitted that her volunteer, Diana, picked up the men in Poughkeepsie and brought them to LaGrange’s restaurant before they all went to the center.

However, she denied offering the 15 men $200 each as paid performers.

I bought them lunch and that was it, she would have exclaimed.

On Friday, U.S. Representative Mike Lawler (D-NY) denounced Toney-Finchs’ alleged actions as truly appalling.

His decision to exploit our veterans and the genuine admiration and love our community has for them could have turned an already tense situation into something much worse, he wrote in a statement.

I am happy that the truth has been uncovered and hope that those responsible will be held accountable after a thorough investigation by the relevant authorities.

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