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| For
Immediate Release: |
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For
Further Information Contact: |
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| August
30, 2005 |
| Office
of The Attorney General
-
Peter C. Harvey,
Attorney General
Division
of Criminal Justice
- Vaughn L. McKoy, Director
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Rachel
Sacharow
609-984-1936
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Division
of Criminal Justice Charges Seven with Illegally
Collecting Unemployment Benefits
More
Than $85,100 Allegedly Bilked from Unemployment
Program
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TRENTON
– Division of Criminal Justice Director
Vaughn L. McKoy announced that the Major
Financial Crimes Bureau has charged seven
people with illegally collecting more
than $85,100 in Unemployment Insurance
(UI) benefits. The prosecutions result
from a cooperative investigative effort
by the Department of Labor and Workforce
Development (DLWD) and the Division of
Criminal Justice.
According
to Director McKoy, the Division of Criminal
Justice - Major Financial Crimes Bureau
obtained separate State Grand Jury indictments
charging seven people with theft by deception
and unsworn falsification to authorities
for bilking the New Jersey UI benefits
program out of more than $85,100.
"The
Division of Criminal Justice and the Department
of Labor and Workforce Development have
established investigative protocols which
target deliberate and blatant attempts
by individuals who attempt to steal thousands
of dollars from the state unemployment
fund," said Criminal Justice Director
McKoy. “Make no mistake, we intend
to investigate, prosecute, recoup and
return dollars stolen from our unemployment
compensation programs."
"The
Department of Labor and Workforce Development
uses a variety of methods to track those
who would abuse the system and fraudulently
obtain benefits," said Unemployment
Insurance Director David Socolow. "These
cases were first identified by DLWD investigators
by cross-matching employer-submitted wage
information against UI benefit payments;
pursuing leads from employer protests
of UI benefit charges; surveying employer
payroll records; and responding to alerts
from the staff of our local claims offices."
An Aug. 26 indictment charged Corey L.
Rucks, 35, Smith Street, Newark, Essex
County, with three counts of theft by
deception and one count of unsworn falsification.
Rucks filed three separate UI benefits
claims - in November, 1999, January, 2001
and January, 2002. An investigation by
the Division of Criminal Justice determined
that Rucks worked as a “floor man”
for Seton Company, T/A Radel Leather,
located in Norristown, PA at the same
time that he was collecting on the first
two claims. The investigation further
revealed that Rucks worked as a stockperson
at Shop-Rite in Kearny, Hudson County,
and was also employed at Best Provisions,
Inc., located in Newark. By not reporting
the employments to the DLWD, Rucks received
more than $19,500 in UI benefits to which
he was not entitled.
A second Aug. 26 indictment charged Guerlene
Damas, 33, Canton Street, Elizabeth, Union
County, with two counts of theft by deception
and one count of unsworn falsification
for allegedly bilking more than $9,500
from the UI benefits fund. The indictment
alleges that Damas filed two UI benefits
claims - one in July 2000 and one in July
2001. An investigation by the Division
of Criminal Justice - Major Financial
Crimes Bureau determined that during the
time she was collecting on the first claim,
Damas was employed as a medical assistant
by Edison Foot & Ankle, located in
Edison, Middlesex County. While collecting
on the second claim, Damas earned wages
as a medical/clerical assistant at both
Garden State Medical, High Risk Pregnancy
and Central Health Group, d/b/a NJ Health
Associates.
In addition, the Division of Criminal
Justice - Major Financial Crimes Bureau
filed five State Grand Jury indictments
on Aug. 18:
-
State v. Angel Torres,
33, Presidential Boulevard, Paterson,
Passaic County. Charged with two counts
each of theft by deception and forgery,
and one count each of theft of identity
and unsworn falsification. Torres filed
twice for UI benefits, both times claiming
that he had been employed, when, in
fact, he had not. Torres filed his first
UI benefits claim in April, 2001. The
indictment alleges that Torres falsified
employment information and submitted
a fictitious W-2 form to the Department
of Labor in order to obtain the benefits.
Torres filed his second UI benefits
claim in June, 2002 using a false name
and social security number and identification
card. An investigation by the Division
of Criminal Justice determined that
during part of the time that Torres
claimed to be employed, he was actually
incarcerated in the Passaic County Jail.
-
State v. Cecil Ward (aka Cecil
A. Ward, Cecil B. Ward, Cecil C. Ward,
Cecil T. Ward, Charles E. Ward and Charles
Robert Ward), 64, Grape Street,
London, England, formerly of Jersey
City, Hudson County. Charged with theft
by deception and unsworn falsification
to authorities. Ward filed for UI benefits
in September, 2001. An investigation
by the Division of Criminal Justice
determined that within days of filing
the claim, Ward began working as a Senior
Client Specialty Policy representative
for AON Service Corp., based out of
Chicago, IL. The indictment charged
that Ward allegedly stole more than
$20,960 in UI benefits by not reporting
the earnings to the DLWD.
-
State v. Juan Mercado,
42, Coddington Street, Raritan, Middlesex
County. Charged with theft by deception
and two counts of unsworn falsification.
Mercado filed three separate UI benefits
claims - in August of 1999 and 2000,
and 2001. The indictment alleges that
Mercado misrepresented that he was unemployed
and consequently stole more than $13,200
in UI benefits. An investigation by
the Division of Criminal Justice determined
that during the time he was collecting
on the claims, Mercado was employed
by at least five different employers.
-
State v. Robert C. Little,
39, Neshaminy Valley Drive, Ben Salem,
Pa. Charged with theft by deception
and unsworn falsification. Little filed
for UI benefits in April, 2000 and September
2001. According to the indictment, while
collecting on the first claim, Little
was employed as an auto dealer by Ficarro’s
Auto Body, Inc., located in Trenton,
Mercer County. During the second claim,
Little worked for at least three different
employers - Heavenly Fish, LP, located
in Ewing, Mercer County, Allentown Caging,
Allentown, Monmouth County; and Robert
Wood Johnson in Hamilton, Mercer County.
Between the two claims, Little collected
more than $7,900.
-
State v. Dinah Collins,
46, Ashley Road, South Charleston, South
Carolina. Charged with theft by deception
and unsworn falsification for bilking
the UI benefits program out of more
than $8,000. Collins filed for UI benefits
in February, 2000 and collected on the
claim until August of that year. An
investigation by the Division of Criminal
Justice determined that, from March
to May, 2000, Collins was employed by
A Quality Temp, located in Montville,
Morris County, where she did accounting/collections.
From May until August, Collins worked
as a collection representative for Conseco
Finance Vendor Services Corp., which
operates out of Minnesota.
Deputy
Attorney General Erin Callahan presented
the Rucks and Damas cases. Rucks’
case has been referred to Essex County
and Damas’ case will be venued in
Union County. DAG Edward Werner presented
the Ward, Little and Collins cases. Little’s
case will be venued in Mercer County and
Collins’ case has been referred
to Essex County. DAG Mark Kurzawa presented
the Mercado and Torres cases. Mercado’s
case was sent to Middlesex County, and
Torres’ case will be venued in Passaic
County.
Theft
by deception is a third degree crime which
carries a maximum penalty of up to five
years in state prison and a fine of up
to $15,000, while unsworn falsification
to authorities is a fourth degree crime
which calls for up to 18 months in state
prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
A
copy of this release and the related indictments
can be found at www.njdcj.org.
An
indictment is merely an accusation. The
defendants are presumed innocent until
proven guilty in a court of law.
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