Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced pleas yesterday against two different individuals who committed unemployment insurance benefit fraud.
Kevin Rafferty (age 37), of Johnston, pleaded nolo contendere yesterday before Providence Superior Court Magistrate Patrick Burke to one count of obtaining money under false pretenses over $1,500 for collecting over $10,000 in unemployment insurance benefits while he was working. Rafferty was sentenced to five years probation and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $10,104 to the State of Rhode Island.
Had the case proceeded to trial, the State was prepared to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that on diverse dates between March 15, 2008 and June 14, 2011, Rafferty failed to accurately report his weekly earnings to the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (RI-DLT) to authorize his weekly unemployment benefits. While Rafferty was collecting unemployment benefits, he was working for Roof Doctor, Inc., located in Warwick, RI.
William Marson (age 36), of Warwick, also pleaded nolo contendere yesterday before Magistrate Patrick Burke to one count of obtaining money under false pretenses over $1,500 for collecting nearly $12,000 in unemployment insurance benefits while he was working. Marson was sentenced to five and one half years probation and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $11,993 to the State of Rhode Island.
Had the case proceeded to trial, the State was prepared to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that on diverse dates between April 1, 2010 and May 30, 2013, Marson failed to accurately report his weekly earnings to the RI-DLT when he called in to the RI-DLT Teleserve voice response system to authorize his weekly unemployment benefits. While Marson was collecting unemployment benefits, he was working for Millwork One, Inc., located in Cranston, RI.
"My office continues to hold those individuals accountable who fraudulently game the system at the expense of risking the integrity of our unemployment insurance system, which is there as a safety net for those who become unemployed," said Attorney General Kilmartin. "Our partnership with RI-DLT showcases the fiscal benefits that result when state agencies work together to root out fraud and abuse."
The cases were initiated by RI-DLT fraud investigators and then referred to the Rhode Island State Police where the investigations were led by Investigator Michael Douglas. Special Assistant Attorney General Carole L. McLaughlin prosecuted the cases on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.
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.