Colonel Steven G. O'Donnell, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police and Commissioner of the Department Of Public Safety, joined Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin and Charles Fogarty, Director of the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (RI DLT) to announce that on Thursday, October 9, 2014, members from the Rhode Island State Police and Rhode Island Division of Sheriffs arrested eighteen (18) individuals for allegedly Obtaining Money Under False Pretenses Over $1,500.00, in violation of the §11-41-4 of the Rhode Island General Laws, for fraudulently obtaining unemployment insurance benefits they were not entitled to receive.
Colonel Steven G. O'Donnell said, "Today's arrests represent an ongoing collaborative effort by the Rhode Island State Police, the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training and the Office of the Rhode Island Attorney General to investigate all allegations of unemployment fraud and hold those individuals, who fraudulently collect unemployment benefits from the State of Rhode Island, accountable."
"The partnership between my office and the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training to aggressively investigate and prosecute individuals defrauding our unemployment insurance system is paying real dividends to the taxpayers. In just over one year, we have successfully prosecuted criminal cases involving unemployment insurance fraud, workers' compensation fraud and employers' failure to pay employee wages, securing court-ordered restitution in the amount of approximately $282,000," said Attorney General Peter Kilmartin. "Those who commit fraud of the unemployment system may think they are harming no one, but that is far from the truth. They are harming the business owners and employees who put money into the system. They are, in essence, stealing from the taxpayers and it will not be tolerated. Anyone who is considering trying to collect unemployment benefits while gainfully employed is put on notice - you will be caught and you will be prosecuted."
"DLT is committed to providing a benefit system that pays in an accurate and timely way to Unemployment Insurance claimants who need these benefits," said Charles J. Fogarty, Director of the RI Department of Labor and Training. "We're equally committed, however, to showing Rhode Island what an aligned and coordinated government can do to respond to real problems. State and federal agencies are pooling our resources and collaborating like never before. We're rooting out those who misuse UI Trust Fund dollars, prosecuting more cases, recouping overpayments — and getting results."
In September 2013, the RI DLT and the Office of Attorney General entered into an agreement whereby RI DLT helps fund a prosecutor who specializes in unemployment insurance fraud , workers' comp fraud and employees failure to pay wages cases investigated by RI DLT and the Rhode Island State Police. In the past year, the Office of Attorney General has successfully prosecuted approximately 30 criminal cases involving unemployment insurance fraud, workers' compensation fraud and employers' failure to pay employee wages with court ordered restitution in the amount of approximately $282,000.
The following individuals were arrested during the sweep:
1. Damian Smidt, age 27, of 25-31 Devereux Street, Providence, R.I., $6,096 in fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits
2. Javier Rivera, age 40, of 20 Messer Street, Warwick, R.I., $10,976 in fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits
3. Joao Branco, age 34, of 23 Pleasant Street, Cumberland, R.I., $16,884 in fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits
4. Abel Perdigao, age 43, of 21 Fleming Avenue, East Providence, RI, $8,683 in fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits.
5. Edmund McNeill, age 57, of 67 Verndale Avenue, Providence, R.I., $10,757 in fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits
6. Kenneth Molden, age 37, of 20 Bleau Lane, Portsmouth, R.I., $22,819 in fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits
7. Mario Pacheco, age 55, of 291 Peckham Street, Fall River, MA, $14,497 in fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits
8. Carl Graham, age 52, of 420 Kenyon Avenue, Pawtucket, R.I., $17,679 in fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits
9. Brian Betances, age 31, of 58 Cleveland Street, Pawtucket, R.I., $16,917 in fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits
10. Gregory Mitton, age 53, of 20121 New London Turnpike, Coventry, R.I., $15,906 in fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits
11. Derek Sebastiao, age 34, of 44 Desmar Court, Warwick, R.I., $21,720 in fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits
12. Stella Tabiti, age 33, of 68 Lowell Avenue, Providence, R.I., $18,764 in fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits
13. Katrina Roy, age 33, of 852 River Avenue, Providence, R.I., $17,924 in fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits
14. Pedro Diaz, age 40, of 374 Webster Avenue, Cranston, R.I., $14,530 in fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits
15. Alvin Greene, age 42, of 21 B Turano Avenue, Westerly, R.I., $ 22,980 in fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits
16. Patricia Johnson, age 38, of 864 River Avenue, Providence, R.I., $12,696 in fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits.
17. Esteban Miliano, age 43, of 107 Henrietta Street, Providence, R.I., $14,014 in fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits
18. Jason Hadley, age 35, of 5 Mill Street, Putnam, Ct., Arrested on 9/29/14, $38,287.00 in fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits
Those arrested during this investigation were arraigned on the felony charge in Sixth Division District Court in Providence and released on personal recognizance. Collectively, these individuals are alleged to have fraudulently collected unemployment benefits totaling $304,253.00. The highest amount any one individual is alleged to have fraudulently collected is $38,287.00. Additional arrests are expected in the near future.