NEW YORK - Federal charges were filed Friday against the former Long Island Railroad director of shop equipment, engineering, and environmental compliance.  Donald Alevas is alleged to have participated in a massive fraud scheme in which LIRR workers allegedly claimed to be disabled upon early retirement so that they could receive disability benefits to which they were not entitled.

Alevas is the 22nd person to be charged in connection with this scheme.  Other defendants include two doctors and an office manager for one of the doctors who were allegedly involved in falsely diagnosing retiring LIRR workers as disabled, two “facilitators” who allegedly served as liaisons between retiring workers and the participating doctors, and 18 LIRR retirees, one of whom was also charged as a facilitator.