Ala. woman rips off city for $100G

A woman pleaded guilty in Manhattan on Tuesday to stealing more than $100,000 in New York housing and welfare benefits via her sweet home in Alabama.

Latonja Serling pocketed nearly $70,000 in state welfare benefits and $50,000 in New York City Housing Authority rental benefits by lying to the city’s Human Resources Administration about where she lived, where she worked, and to whom she was married from 2012 through this year, authorities said.

Serling told the Human Resources Administration she lived in a NYCHA building at 218 W. 112th St. in Harlem when in reality she was nearly 1,000 miles away from the Big Apple in the city of Calera, Ala., said authorities.

Someone at the administration tipped off the state welfare inspector general, who opened an investigation, combing through Serling’s real estate and employment records, SNAP benefits, bank records and her Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn activity.

Serling, who did not respond to a Daily News request for comment, admitted she lied about how much money she was making and her spouse’s income. Authorities said she carried out the fraud by using two different Social Security numbers.

Serling pleaded guilty to second-degree welfare fraud, which is a felony, and misdemeanor welfare fraud.

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Angela Badamo sentenced Serling to a conditional discharge, which means she will not be punished so long as she stays out of trouble. Badamo also ordered Serling to make $50,000 in restitution over the next five years.