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Pawtucket Woman Pleads to Unemployment Insurance Benefit Fraud

Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced that Jacqueline White (age 64), of Pawtucket, pleaded nolo contendere today before Providence Superior Court Magistrate Patrick Burke to one count of obtaining money under false pretenses over $1,500 for collecting more than $18,000 in unemployment insurance benefits while she was employed. White was sentenced to eight years probation and ordered to pay $18,137 in restitution at a rate of no less than $200 per month.

Had the case proceeded to trial, the State was prepared to prove that on diverse dates between December 27, 2008 and May 31, 2011, White failed to accurately report her weekly earnings to the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (RI-DLT) when she called the RI-DLT Teleserve voice response system to authorize her weekly unemployment benefits. While White was collecting unemployment benefits, she was working for SSTAR, Inc. of Rhode Island.

The case was initiated by RI-DLT fraud investigator David O'Brien and then referred to the Rhode Island State Police where the investigation was led by Investigator Michael Douglas. Special Assistant Attorney General Carole L. McLaughlin prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.

"Those who think they can defraud the system by collecting unemployment insurance benefits while working are forewarned that the fraud will be uncovered, investigated and prosecuted," said Attorney General Kilmartin.

The Office of Attorney General is assigned a prosecutor devoted exclusively to prosecuting fraud cases referred by the RI-DLT involving unemployment insurance benefits fraud, workers' compensation fraud, prevailing wage violations, and labor standards violations. The prosecutor in this position is solely responsible for screening, charging, prosecuting, tracking, and reporting case results to RI-DLT and the Office of Attorney General.

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