A Steuben County man is facing felony charges after investigators say he filed false documents and illegally collected thousands in public assistance.
James C. Brutsman, 54, of McMaster Road in Cameron, was arrested Thursday by Steuben County Sheriff’s investigators. Authorities allege Brutsman submitted false paperwork to the county Department of Social Services between October 2024 and September 2025, collecting $3,374 in benefits he wasn’t entitled to receive.
Brutsman is charged with:
- Offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree (Class E felony)
- Falsifying business records in the first degree (Class E felony)
- Welfare fraud in the third degree (Class D felony)
- Grand larceny in the third degree (Class D felony)
He was arraigned in Centralized Arraignment Court and released.
Sheriff Jim Allard thanked the Department of Social Services Fraud and Legal Affairs Unit, along with the District Attorney’s Office, for assisting in the investigation.
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