Holtsville LIRR Retiree Faces Disability Fraud Charges

A Holtsville man who served as a Long Island Railroad conductor and union official is standing trial for disability fraud and the prosecution has video of the man playing golf as evidence of his health.

Joseph Rutigliano is one of three defendants on trial in a lengthy investigation that included the FBI's involvement, according to a report in Newsday. At the trial FBI agent Sean Tumulty testified that Rutigliano signed up to play golf more than 100 times in a four year span, and the prosecution unveiled video evidence showing the retired LIRR employee driving golf balls down a fairway.

According to the article Rutigliano is on trial for filing a false disability claim when he retired in 1999 citing "lower back pain, osteoarthritis, a meniscal tear in his right knee, carpal tunnel syndrome and "rotator cuff disease" in his right shoulder." The prosecution claims he isn't disabled at all. Rutigliano is also charged with conspiring to help others file false disability claims and collecting a fee for the service as a consultant. 

Rutigliano's lawyer says that golf is not exactly the most strenuous of activities and that the golf outings were limited to four hours once a week. He also made an unsuccessful bid to have the golf video thrown out as evidence.  

Authorities launched a broad sweeping investigation of disability fraud within the LIRR, arresting 33 employees in total. Twenty-five of them have already pleaded guilty, according to the report.