Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced that Stella Tabiti, alias Stella Agbaje, (age 34), with a last known address of 68 Lowell Avenue, Providence, pleaded nolo contendre today before Superior Court Justice Sarah Taft-Carter to one count of obtaining money under false pretenses over $1,500 for fraudulently collecting more than $18,000 in unemployment insurance benefits while she was working at United Cerebral Palsy of Rhode Island in Pawtucket and Griffin Healthcare Services in Providence.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Tabiti was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $18,764 to the State of Rhode Island. Tabiti made an initial payment of $2,000 was ordered to pay $558 per month for 30 months.
Had the case proceeded to trial, the State was prepared to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that between January 28, 2012 and March 23, 2013, Tabiti underreported her weekly earnings to the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (RIDLT) when she called in to the RIDLT Teleserve voice response system to authorize her weekly unemployment benefits. While Tabiti was collecting unemployment benefits she was working for United Cerebral Palsy of Rhode Island and Griffin Healthcare Services.
"Individuals who think they can scam the State's unemployment insurance benefit system are forewarned that their fraudulent activities will be discovered, investigated, and vigorously prosecuted," said Attorney General Kilmartin, whose prosecutors have secured more than $300,000 in court-ordered restitution by defendants who pleaded to unemployment insurance benefit fraud in Rhode Island.
The case was investigated by the RIDLT Fraud Unit and Detective Stephen Brown of the Rhode Island State Police Auto Theft and Insurance Fraud Unit and prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Carole McLaughlin on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.