Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced that Abel M. Perdigao (age 43), (with a last known address of 21 Fleming Street, East Providence, RI pleaded nolo contendere yesterday before Providence Superior Court Special Magistrate Patrick T. Burke to one count of obtaining money under false pretenses for collecting over $8,000 in unemployment insurance benefits while he was working. Perdigao was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $8,683 to the State of Rhode Island.
Had the case proceeded to trial, the State was prepared to prove that between January 3, 2009 and May 12, 2012 Perdigao failed to report his weekly earnings to the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training when he called into the DLT Teleserve voice response system to authorize his weekly unemployment benefits. While Perdigao was collecting unemployment benefits he was working for RBS Citizens National Association in Smithfield RI, the James L. Maher Center in Middletown, RI, and Bridges Inc. in Jamestown, RI.
"The successful prosecution of Mr. Perdigao is the third this week alone, recouping more than $50,000 for the State," said Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin. "The deliberate stealing of unemployment insurance benefits will continue to be met with vigilant investigation and prosecution."
Earlier this week, Attorney General Kilmartin announced the prosecution of two other individuals charged with unemployment insurance benefit fraud with total Court-ordered restitution of $43,000.
DLT fraud investigator Claribel Terrero handled the case initially, referring it to the Rhode Island State Police Auto Theft and Insurance Fraud Unit, where Detectives Adam Kennett completed the investigation. Special Assistant Attorney General Genevieve Allaire Johnson prosecuted both cases 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.