LAKEWOOD -- A rabbi and multiple other couples arrested in Lakewood raids early Monday morning were released from jail after they were charged with fraudulently earning $1.3 million from various welfare programs.

Rabbi Zalmen Sorotzkin, who runs the Congregation Lutzk synagogue, his wife and another couple appeared by video conference at the Ocean County Justice Complex Monday afternoon before Judge Steven Nameth. In federal court in Trenton, Rachel and Shimon Nussbaum and Rachel and Mordechai Sorotzkin, the brother of Zalmen Sorotzkin, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Arpert.

The raids, conducted throughout Lakewood Monday morning, were part of a sting involving the FBI, state authorities, and the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office. A statement from Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato said the Lakewood residents collected $1.3 million in illegal benefits from the government programs, which included Medicaid, SNAP, HUD and Social Security benefits.

Coronato said his office gave "clear guidance and notice" to the Lakewood community in 2015 about financial abuse of these welfare programs.

"Those who choose to ignore those warnings by seeking to illegally profit on the backs of taxpayers will pay the punitive price of their actions," he said in a statement.

Zalmen Sorotzkin, 39, and his wife Tzipporah, 35, are accused in state Superior Court of taking $338,642 in Medicaid, SNAP, HUD and Social Security benefits between January 2009 and April 2014.

Mordechai Breskin, 37, and his wife Jocheved, 35, are also accused in state court of collecting $585,662 in Medicaid, SNAP, HUD and Social Security benefits between January 2009 thru December 2014.

As part of the new bail reform guidelines in New Jersey, all four defendants, who are each charged with theft by deception, had a court hearing to determine if they would remain behind bars pending a trial. Prosecutors did not fight to have them remain jailed and Judge Nameth ordered them to be released under the condition they surrender their passports and contact pre-trial services on a monthly basis.

An attorney representing the Sorotzkins, Edward C. Bertucio, said the case is in its infancy and it would be premature to comment on specific allegations lodged against his clients.

"They plead innocent and they'll seek exoneration in court," he said.

Stacy Ann Biancamano, an attorney for the Breskins, declined to comment after the brief court appearance.

Mordechai Sorotzkin, 35, and his wife, Rachel, 32; and Shimon Nussbaum, 42, and his wife, Yocheved, 40, each face one count of conspiracy to steal government funds in federal court, authorities said. That charge carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.

The federal complaint unsealed Monday in U.S. District Court accuses Mordechai and Rachel Sorotzkin, who authorities say earned more than $1 million in combined income in 2012 and 2013, of dramatically under-reporting their family income on a false application they submit to the state's NJ FamilyCare Medicaid program. Authorities said they defrauded the government of approximately $96,000 from 2011 thru 2014.

The Nussbaums are accused in a separate complaint of having controlled numerous bank accounts opened under the names of relatives to cover personal expenses. The complaint says the Nussbaums, who earned approximately $1.8 million in 2013, exploited $178,000 from Medicaid, Section 8 housing and SNAP food benefits.

In federal court, all four defendants were each released after paying a $100,000 unsecured appearance bond. They were ordered to surrender their passports and travel for them is restricted to New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

An attorney for Rachel Sorotzkin said, "everything's going to work out and all of them will be vindicated." Her husband, Mordechai, is represented by Ben Rosenberg, who declined to comment.

An attorney for the Nussbaum's also declined to comment.

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips