Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin today announced that Richard Daigle (age 49), with a last known address of Birch Avenue in East Providence, pleaded nolo contendere yesterday before Superior Court Brian Van Couyghen to one count of obtaining money under false pretenses for collecting in excess of $10,000 in unemployment insurance benefits while employed.
Daigle was sentenced to 10 years probation and ordered to pay restitution to the State of Rhode Island in the amount of $10,252.
Had the case proceeded to trial, the state was prepared to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that between July 10, 2010 and January 2, 1011 Daigle failed to report his weekly earnings to the RI Department of Labor and Training (RIDLT) while he was working at Stop & Shop during this time period and also collecting unemployment insurance.
Daigle was required to report any earnings when he called the voice response unit to certify for his weekly unemployment insurance payment using his personal pin number.
"Unemployment insurance provides a critical safety net for thousands of struggling Rhode Islanders out of work. We will not tolerate fraud and abuse of a system that is already financially strapped due to the state's slow economic recovery and continuing high unemployment rate," said Attorney General Kilmartin. "The Office of Attorney General, in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training and the Rhode Island State Police, will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who defraud the system and steal taxpayer dollars."
Rhode Island State Police Detective Douglas Watters of the Auto Theft and Insurance Fraud Unit led the investigation. Special Assistant Attorney General Genevieve Allaire Johnson prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General and the State of Rhode Island. Funded by RI DLT, Allaire Johnson prosecutes all unemployment insurance fraud, worker's compensation fraud, prevailing wage violations and labor standards fraud cases on behalf of RI DLT.