Union County Woman & Her Two Adult Children Charged With Housing Assistance Fraud

Sunday, October 19, 2025, 9:15 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

ELIZABETH, NJ.- Early last month, a 55-year-old Elizabeth, New Jersey, woman, her 30-year-old daughter, and her 34-year-old son were charged by criminal complaints in connection with their involvement in a years-long theft scheme, in a public assistance public housing assistance fraud.

     According to Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel, Alicia Rivera, 55, Lorena Rivera, 30, and George Garavito, 34, were each charged by criminal complaint with second-degree Theft by Deception; second-degree Theft by Unlawful Taking; second-degree Conspiracy to Commit Theft; third-degree Falsifying Records; third-degree Tampering with Public Records; and fourth-degree False Swearing.

     Alicia Rivera and Lorena Rivera were taken into custody on September 10, 2025, in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and were processed on the charges and released. George Garavito was taken into custody on September 26, 2025, in Indiana and is awaiting extradition to New Jersey. All three have been scheduled to appear in Union County Superior Court in Elizabeth, New Jersey, on November 6, 2025.

Investigation Uncovers Over $80,000 In Fraudlent Payments

     The charges stem from an investigation that was led by Union County Prosecutor’s Office Special Prosecutions Unit, Assistant Prosecutor James Brady, and Detective Jessica Tattoli, which uncovered, for over five years, that all three submitted fraudulent documents to the Union County Housing Assistance Payment Program to unlawfully receive housing assistance. They also made fraudulent claims in order to receive enhanced benefits, which resulted in the receipt of over $80,000 in assistance that they were not entitled to.

     The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with additional information regarding this investigation is urged to contact Detective Jessica Tattoli of the Union County Prosecutor’s Office at (908) 527-4325.

“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”