Sanctions

§ 145-c. Sanctions. Any person who, individually or as a member of a family, applies for or receives public assistance and is found by a federal, state or local criminal, civil or other court or pursuant to an administrative hearing held in accordance with the regulations of the department, on the basis of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere or otherwise, intentionally to have (a) made a false or misleading statement or misrepresented, concealed, or withheld facts, or (b) committed any act intended to mislead, misrepresent, conceal, or withhold facts or propound a falsity, for the purpose of establishing or maintaining the eligibility of the individual or of the individual's family for aid or of increasing (or preventing a reduction in) the amount of such aid, then the needs of such individual shall not be taken into account in determining his or her need or that of his or her family pursuant to section one hundred thirty-one-a of this article (i) for a period of six months upon the first occasion of any such offense, (ii) for a period of twelve months upon the second occasion of any such offense or upon an offense which resulted in the wrongful receipt of benefits in an amount of between at least one thousand dollars and no more than three thousand nine hundred dollars, (iii) for a period of eighteen months upon the third occasion of any such offense or upon an offense which results in the wrongful receipt of benefits in an amount in excess of three thousand nine hundred dollars, and (iv) five years for any subsequent occasion of any such offense. Any period for which sanctions are imposed shall remain in effect, without possibility of administrative stay, unless and until the finding upon which the sanctions were imposed is subsequently reversed by a court of appropriate jurisdiction; but in no event shall the duration of the period for which such sanctions are imposed be subject to review. The sanctions shall be in addition to, and not in substitution for, any other sanctions which may be provided for by law with respect to the offenses involved, except that the social services official or court official assessing penalties against a recipient for an act of fraud or misrepresentation described in this subdivision may consider whether to impose such penalties based upon the existence of the penalties described herein.