In a significant crackdown on fraud, 18 New York City employees, including workers from the Homeless Services, have been arrested for their involvement in a COVID benefit fraud scheme. The investigation initially focused on a ghost gun factory in the East Village, which led to the discovery of a massive fraud scheme involving NYC workers. These public servants are accused of stealing the identities of homeless individuals. Among the arrested are eight NYC government workers charged with running a ghost gun crime syndicate. They produced makeshift firearms in East Village apartments and exploited homeless people's identities to illegitimately claim $1 million in social security benefits.