ALBANY COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE

County Court House Albany, New York 12207 (518) 487-5400

WWW.ALBANYCOUNTYSHERIFF.COM

WILLIAM C. COX
UNDERSHERIFF

CRAIG D. APPLE, SR.

SHERIFF

PAUL M. COURCELLE
CHIEF DEPUTY

MICHAEL S. MONTELEONE
CHIEF DEPUTY

KERRY B. THOMPSON
CHIEF DEPUTY

PRESS RELEASE
Albany County Sheriff Craig D. Apple Sr. reports the arrest of three individuals for allegedly defrauding the Department of Social Services. Earlier this week, the Department of Social Service Investigators contacted the Albany County Sheriffs Office for assistance in the execution of two arrest warrants. The warrants had been issued for Lailuma Meherdil (44) and her husband Amirjan Hayatullah (47), both residents of the City of Cohoes. Both parties had been indicted for fraudulently receiving in excess of $10,000 in DSS benefits. On Thursday, January 23, 2014, Sheriffs Investigators located Lailuma Meherdil at her residence in Cohoes and she was placed into custody without incident. During her arrest, she informed Investigators that her husband was working in Louisiana at a United States ARMY base and that he was scheduled to return to the area earlier next week. Information obtained during the investigation revealed that Amirjan Hayatullah was apparently employed as a translator in Afghanistan by a contractor hired by the United States Government. The name of the contractor was reported to be Mobius Industries USA Inc. and he had earned $150,000 annually in his capacity as a translator. Meherdil was arraigned on two counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, class D Felony, four counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the Third Degree, class E Felony and Welfare Fraud in the Third Degree, class D Felony. Meherdil was arraigned in Albany County Court before the Honorable Supreme Court Justice Thomas Breslin who remanded her to the Albany County Correctional Facility without bail. Although Sheriffs Investigators conducted surveillance on the residence they were unable to apprehend the husband Amirjan Hayatullah. Investigators interviewed the suspects son, Neshat Hayatullah, who stated that he had not heard from his father in some time and he was not certain when he would be returning to the area. On Friday, January 31, 2014, Sheriffs Investigators received a letter from the Meherdil, who remained incarcerated at the Albany County Correctional Facility. The letter stated that she had received a visit from her husband Amirjan Hayatullah, stating that if she revealed the whereabouts of his hiding location, he would kill her. Investigators immediately resumed surveillance on the residence and during the course of that surveillance, the couples son, Neshat Hayatullah, was seen leaving the residence. Surveillance teams followed the son to a location on Manor Avenue in the City of Cohoes where a male was witnessed exiting a wooded area and entered a vehicle. The vehicle was stopped by Sheriffs Investigators and hiding in the rear passenger seat was Amirjan Hayatullah. Both Amirjan Hayatullah and Neshat Hayatullah were placed into custody and were transported to the sheriffs office for processing. Neshat Hayatullah was charged with Hindering Prosecution in the third degree, a Class A Misdemeanor. He was processed and was released on an appearance ticket and is scheduled to appear in the City of Cohoes Court on February 27, 2014 at 12:30 pm.

Amirjan Hayatullah was processed and transported to the Albany County Correctional Facility where he was held pending his arraignment in Albany County Court this morning. His arraignment before the Honorable Supreme Court Judge Thomas Breslin unfortunately had to be postponed when Mr. Hayatullah requested an Afghanistan interpreter. His arraignment was rescheduled for today and he was arraigned on Grand Larceny Third Degree, and four counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree. At this time bail has not been set.

Amirjan Hayatullah (47) Lailuma Merherdil (44)

Neshet Hayatullah (20)