In 2007, the RI Department of Labor and Training used a variety of detection methods to recoup more than $3.4 million in undeserved Unemployment Insurance payments.

As part of this effort, the department successfully prosecuted 45 individuals who had each collected more than $5,000 in undeserved UI payments or were considered repeat offenders. Among these were five cases involving restitution of more than $10,000 (listed below).

• Adam Martin of Lincoln entered a nolo plea for obtaining money under false pretenses, a felony for UI fraud, in June 2007. He received a five-year deferred sentence, with court-ordered restitution of $15,150.

• Michelle J. Miller of Providence entered a nolo plea to obtaining money under false pretenses, a felony for UI fraud, in December 2007. She was sentenced to 72 months probation, with court-ordered restitution of $14,494.

• Charles Naud of Bristol entered a nolo plea to obtaining money under false pretenses, a felony for UI fraud, in July 2007. He received a five-year deferred sentence, with court-ordered restitution of $12,058.

• William O’Leary of Seekonk, Mass., entered a nolo plea to obtaining money under false pretenses, a felony for UI fraud, in August 2007. He received a deferred sentence, with court-ordered restitution of $11,500.

• Daniel Tuirok of Providence entered a nolo plea to an amended charge of obtaining money under false pretenses, a misdemeanor for UI fraud, in June 2007. He received a one-year suspended sentence and one-year probation, with court-ordered restitution of $10,134.

Unemployment Insurance benefits compensate workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own and who are actively seeking work. Examples of UI fraud include giving false information and/or failing to report earnings from self-employment or other work while collecting UI benefits. In 2007, the UI Fraud Unit conducted 462 investigations throughout the state.

In Rhode Island, Unemployment Insurance benefits are paid through the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, which is financed through employer taxes. Any overpayments recovered by the department are returned to the fund.

RI Dept. of Labor and Training Interim Director Sandra Powell states, “The Department of Labor and Training takes a strong stand against anyone who tries to defraud the UI system. It is critical that we protect the integrity of the UI program in Rhode Island.”

Assistant Director for Income Support Raymond Filippone explains that the department employs multiple methods to detecting overpayments. “The department compares employer wage reports with active UI claims to identify possible abuses of the system,” he says. “We also compare claims information with the National Directory of New Hires and the RI Directory of New Hires.”

Rhode Islanders who have received Unemployment Insurance overpayments but have not voluntarily reimbursed the system may find that the money they owe has been deducted from their tax refund checks.  “The department can intercept RI State Income Tax refunds and RI lottery winnings to apply toward outstanding UI overpayments,” says Filippone.

In 2007, approximately $894,000 in UI overpayments were recovered through the employer wage report cross-matching; $806,000 in overpayments were recovered through tax refunds and lottery winnings intercepts; $672,000 through Fraud Unit investigations; $664,000 through the new hires cross-matching; and $317,000 through prosecutions.

Listing of 2007 UI fraud prosecutions by community

Location: Bristol
Name: Charles Naud
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: five-year deferred sentence
Restitution: $12,058
Date: July 2007

Location: Bristol
Name: Jeffrey Powell
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: five-year deferred sentence
Restitution: $6,449
Date: March 2007

Location: Burrillville
Name: Keith Quinn
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: deferred sentence
Restitution: $8,496
Date: August 2007

Location: Central Falls
Name: Sheryl Kogut
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: five-year deferred sentence
Restitution: $6,034
Date: June 2007

Location: Cranston
Name: Eric Iacabbo
Charge: amended charge, obtaining money under false pretenses (misdemeanor)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: one-year probation
Restitution: $6,201
Date: September 2007

Location: Cranston
Name: Anthony T. Smith
Charge: amended charge, obtaining money under false pretenses (misdemeanor)
Plea: nolo
Restitution: $639
Date: May 2007

Location: Cranston
Name: Linda Tessitore
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: deferred sentence
Restitution: $6,412
Date: June 2007

Location: Cumberland
Name: George Bernier
Charge: amended charge, obtaining money under false pretenses (misdemeanor)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: one-year probation
Restitution: $7,049
Date: March 2007

Location: East Providence
Name: Timothy W. Aldrich
Charge: amended charge, obtaining money under false pretenses (misdemeanor)
Plea: nolo
Restitution: $7,049
Date: June 2007

Location: East Providence
Name: Paul L. Fisher
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: alford
Restitution: $9,661
Date: May 2007

Location: East Providence
Name: Patricia A. Neves
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: five-year deferred sentence
Restitution: $8,695
Date: April 2007

Location: Lincoln
Name: Adam Martin
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: five-year deferred sentence
Restitution: $15,150
Date: June 2007

Location: Johnston
Name: Kurt M. Jacobi
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: five-year deferred sentence
Restitution: $5,810
Date: April 2007

Location: North Providence
Name: Patricia Bell
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: 10-year probation
Restitution: $7,722
Date: May 2007

Location: North Providence
Name: Brenda Borden
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Restitution: $5,756
Date: March 2007

Location: North Providence
Name: Colin S. Davis
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: 36 month-probation
Restitution: $6,708
Date: September 2007

Location: Pawtucket
Name: Ronald Forget
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: five-year probation
Restitution: $7,900
Date: April 2007

Location: Pawtucket
Name: Marie Francois
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: five-year deferred sentence
Restitution: $4,400
Date: July 2007

Location: Pawtucket
Name: Michelle Melendez-Maurie
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: 10-year probation
Restitution: $9,784
Date: June 2007

Location: Pawtucket
Name: Leonor Teixeira
Charge: amended charge, obtaining money under false pretenses (misdemeanor)
Plea: nolo
Restitution: $664
Date: February 2007

Location: Providence
Name: Joseph Bourgeois
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: five-year deferred sentence
Restitution: $8,922
Date: June 2007

Location: Providence
Name: Julio Cruz
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: two-year probation
Restitution: $5,194
Date: May 2007

Location: Providence
Name: John P. Freeman
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: five-year probation
Restitution: $9,849
Date: September 2007

Location: Providence
Name: Michelle J. Miller
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: 72 months probation
Restitution: $14,494
Date: December 2007

Location: Providence
Name: Robert Nixon
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: five-year deferred sentence
Restitution: $6,419
Date: February 2007

Location: Providence
Name: Carla M. Oliveira
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Restitution: $3,228
Date: May 2007

Location: Providence
Name: Anthony Parascandolo
Charge: amended charge, obtaining money under false pretenses (misdemeanor)
Plea: nolo
Restitution: $6,201
Date: September 2007

Location: Providence
Name: Sanllery Perez
Charge: amended charge, obtaining money under false pretenses (misdemeanor)
Plea: nolo
Restitution: $5,657
Date: July 2007

Location: Providence
Name: Daniel Tuirok
Charge: amended charge, obtaining money under false pretenses (misdemeanor)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: one-year suspended sentence and one-year probation
Restitution: $10,134
Date: June 2007

Location: Providence
Name: Leonard L. Williams
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: five-year probation
Restitution: $8,384
Date: May 2007

Location: Providence
Name: Arnold Wright
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: deferred sentence
Restitution: $6,934
Date: June 2007

Location: Warwick
Name: Robert Fuller
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: five-year deferred sentence
Restitution: $3,657
Date: March 2007

Location: Warwick
Name: Walter Grover
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: five-year deferred sentence
Restitution: $8,496
Date: March 2007

Location: Warwick
Name: Jean Martin
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: deferred sentence
Restitution: $6,025
Date: June 2007

Location: Warwick
Name: Scott Morinville
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: eight years full sentence, term-to-serve 9 months, suspended 87 months, probation 87 months
Restitution: $9,704
Date: March 2007

Location: Warwick
Name: Nicole Phillips
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: five-year deferred sentence
Restitution: $5,040
Date: June 2007

Location: Warwick
Name: John Raposo
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: five-year probation
Restitution: $4,590
Date: July 2007

Location: Warwick
Name: Eric Redstone
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: five-year deferred sentence
Restitution: $8,520
Date: May 2007

Location: West Warwick
Name: Veronica R. Bennett
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: deferred sentence
Restitution: $4,678
Date: October 2007

Location: West Warwick
Name: Carlos Cruz
Charge: amended charge, obtaining money under false pretenses (misdemeanor)
Plea: nolo
Restitution: $4,418
Date: April 2007

Location: Fall River, MA
Name: Hector Maldonado
Charge: amended charge, obtaining money under false pretenses (misdemeanor)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: one-year probation
Restitution: $3,619
Date: June 2007

Location: Seekonk, MA
Name: William O’Leary
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: deferred sentence
Restitution: $11,500
Date: August 2007

Location: Bishopville, SC
Name: Jon Nelson
Charge: obtaining money under false pretenses (felony)
Plea: nolo
Sentence: five-year deferred sentence
Restitution: $9,432
Date: March 2007

About the RI Department of Labor and Training

The RI Department of Labor and Training offers employment services, educational services and economic opportunity to both individuals and employers. DLT protects Rhode Island's workforce by enforcing labor laws, prevailing wage rates and workplace health and safety standards. The department also provides temporary income support to unemployed and temporarily disabled workers. For more information on the programs and services available to all Rhode Islanders, please call the RI Department of Labor and Training at (401) 462-8000 or visit the web site at www.dlt.ri.gov.

###