TRENTON
– Attorney General Stuart Rabner and
Criminal Justice Director Gregory A. Paw
announced that a Middlesex County man was
indicted today by the Division of Criminal
Justice on charges he stole $137,000 in
disability benefits from the U.S. Social
Security Administration.
Five
others also were indicted recently on charges
of stealing unemployment insurance (UI)
benefits from the state as a result of cooperative
investigations by the Department of Labor
and Workforce Development and the Division
of Criminal Justice - Major Financial Crimes
Bureau.
“These
indictments charge the defendants with illegally
collecting thousands of dollars in benefits
to which they were not entitled,”
Attorney General Rabner said. “Our
goal is to identify those who cheat the
system, prosecute them and recover the money
taken from the state treasury.”
“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 Commissioner
of Labor and Workforce Development David
J. Socolow. “These cases were first
identified by labor department 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.”
According
to Director Paw, John
McLoughlin (view
indictment 101k pdf), 58, of South Amboy,
was indicted today by a state grand jury
on charges of second-degree theft by deception
and fourth-degree unsworn falsification
to authorities. McLoughlin began collecting
disability benefits from the Social Security
Administration in 1979 after he injured
his back when a cabinet fell on him. The
indictment alleges that McLoughlin completed
a Social Security questionnaire in 1998
in which he stated that he had extensive
and severe limitations. In 2002, McLoughlin
completed a second questionnaire stating
he was suffering from severe and debilitating
conditions that prevented him from working.
During this time, it is alleged that McLoughlin
was actually doing manual labor for Liteway
Electric in Freehold, performing such tasks
as installing parking lights, running electrical
wire and shoveling dirt from a trench. As
a result of his fraudulent activity, McLouglin
allegedly was paid more than $137,200 in
disability benefits to which he was not
entitled.
A
separate state grand jury indictment returned
today charged Walter
King (view
indictment 95k pdf), 57, of Sicklerville,
with third-degree theft by deception and
fourth-degree unsworn falsification. According
to the indictment, after filing for UI benefits
in November 2001, King earned wages from
four different employers, including Jacobs
Constructors in St. Louis, Missouri; Dandrea
Brothers Concrete Inc.in Bensalem, Pennsylvania;
Bulk Construction LLC in West Berlin, New
Jersey; and Day and Zimmerman NPS Inc. in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. King allegedly
failed to notify the labor department about
those jobs and subsequently received more
than $12,600 in UI benefits to which he
was not entitled.
The Division of Criminal Justice recently
obtained four additional indictments:
- Mark
E. Manness (view
indictment 117k pdf), 33, of Manahawkin,
was charged on October 3 with two counts
of third-degree theft by deception and
one count of fourth-degree unsworn falsification
to authorities for allegedly stealing
more than $23,900 in UI benefits. Manness
allegedly worked for four different employers,
including the Borough of Ship Bottom,
while collecting on two separate UI benefits
claims that he filed in October 2001 and
November 2003. Manness failed to notify
the labor department of his employment.
- Joseph
Becker
(view indictment
118k pdf), 33, of Bellmawr, was charged
on October 3 with two counts of third-degree
theft by deception and one count of fourth-degree
unsworn falsification. Becker filed two
separate claims for UI benefits in May
2001 and September 2002. While collecting
on the claims, Becker allegedly was intermittently
employed by Alper Enterprises Inc. in
Moorestown. By not reporting his earnings
to the labor department, Becker allegedly
collected more than $10,200 in UI benefits
to which he was not entitled.
- Kim
Gonzalez
(view indictment
96k pdf), 38, of Sewaren, was charged
on September 20 with third-degree theft
by deception and fourth-degree unsworn
falsification to authorities for allegedly
stealing more than $11,500 in UI benefits.
After filing a claim for UI benefits in
May 2001, Gonzalez allegedly began working
for J. Knipper & Co. in Lakewood.
It is charged that Gonzalez did not report
this employment to the labor department.
-
James Owens Jr. (view
indictment 96k pdf), 49, of
East Windsor, was charged on September
20 with third-degree theft by deception
and fourth-degree unsworn falsification
to authorities. Owens allegedly filed
for UI benefits in February 2001 and subsequently
began working for IMCST Preferred Transportation
in Perth Amboy. Owens allegedly collected
paychecks from IMCST for 26 weeks, yet
failed to advise the labor department
of the earnings. Owens allegedly received
more than $9,800 in UI benefits to which
he was not entitled.
The
indictments are merely accusations and the
defendants are presumed innocent until proven
guilty. Second-degree crimes carry a sentence
of up to ten years in state prison and a
fine of up to $150,000. Third-degree crimes
carry a sentence of up to five years in
state prison and a fine of up to $15,000.
Fourth-degree crimes carry a sentence of
up to 18 months in state prison and a fine
of up to $10,000.
Deputy
Attorney General Mark Kurzawa presented
the McLoughlin and King cases to the grand
jury. DAG Candy Cure presented the Manness
and Becker cases to the grand jury. DAG
Patrick Flor presented the Gonzalez and
Owens cases to the grand jury. State Investigators
Gary O’Brien, Lynn Patrick Fitzgerald,
John Neggia and Michael Behar coordinated
the investigations.
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