Suffolk removed the operator of the county's largest homeless shelter Wednesday following allegations that the operator was ripping off taxpayers by overcharging the county.

County officials say the shelter's operator, the Long Island Women's Empowerment Network, or LIWEN, has been removed effective Wednesday.

The shelter provides warm beds for more than 400 women and children.

"Working in cooperation and collaboration with the Department of Social Services, we were very quickly able to determine that this provider had claimed over the course of their operations almost $3 million in improper claiming," said Suffolk County Comptroller John Kennedy.

Kennedy said his office found that LIWEN, which is headed by Julie Levine, charged the county a higher rate than what was permitted for each person staying at the shelter. That number totaled nearly $1.1 million. He says there was also roughly $2.2 million in expenses, which did not comply with state and county regulations.

The comptroller says Levine used the organization's debit card to spend $2,300 at a hotel in South Carolina, and more than $2,700 at the Bonwit Inn restaurant in Commack.

News 12 reached out to LIWEN's attorneys for comment, but has not heard back yet.

Although the audit is still underway, the county comptroller said they will be bringing their findings to the district attorney Friday. They say they expect a new provider to be in place in the next week.