Tag:

Unemployment Insurance

$1.6M Fraud Scheme: Capital Region Man Admits Role In Unemployment Insurance Scam $1.6M Fraud Scheme: Capital Region Man Admits Role In Unemployment Insurance Scam
$1.6M Fraud Scheme: Capital Region Man Admits Role In Unemployment Insurance Scam A man from the region admitted to taking part in a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme that targeted unemployment insurance benefits. Rensselaer County resident Todd Ward, age 45, of Troy, pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) in Albany federal court in late June 2024. Prosecutors said Ward confessed to providing co-conspirator Carl DiVeglia with the personal identifying information of another individual, which DiVeglia then used to file a false claim on the NYSDOL website. Earlier Report: Former State Employee From Albany Pleads Guilty…
14 NJ Businesses Newly-Barred From Practicing For Shortchanging Workers: DOL 14 NJ Businesses Newly-Barred From Practicing For Shortchanging Workers: DOL
14 NJ Businesses Newly-Barred From Practicing For Shortchanging Workers: DOL An additional 14 New Jersey businesses have been barred from practicing for short-changing workers and other violations, bringing the total to 82, according to the state's Labor and Workforce Development Department. The businesses — which were named to the NJDOL’s Workplace Accountability in Labor List (the WALL) — owe a collective $956,000 in wages and penalties to the state and their employees. The 14 businesses added to the WALL are: A Z Construction of NJ Inc., Plainfield Brasero Chicken 3 LLC, Paterson Dar's Staffing LLC, Little Egg Harbor EC Abatement Inc., Newark Lane Mechanical He…
Wig-Wearing Identity Thief Who Trafficked Phony Oxy Pills In DMV Region Gets Time In DC Wig-Wearing Identity Thief Who Trafficked Phony Oxy Pills In DMV Region Gets Time In DC
Wig-Wearing Identity Thief Who Trafficked Phony Oxy Pills In DMV Region Gets Time In DC A Maryland man is heading to prison for his role in a wide-ranging drug trafficking conspiracy across the DMV region, federal authorities announced. Silver Springs resident Tyronn Waters was sentenced to 70 months in prison after pleading guilty in July to distributing fentanyl and wire fraud charges as part of an elaborate scheme.  In August 2021, an investigation was launched into a drug trafficking ring running a fentanyl pill pressing operation in both DC and Maryland. According to prosecutors, the drugs included counterfeit Oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, produced using…
Santos Saga: Ethics Committee Won’t Recommend Punishment For Embattled NY Rep, Report Says Santos Saga: Ethics Committee Won’t Recommend Punishment For Embattled NY Rep, Report Says
Santos Saga: Ethics Committee Won’t Recommend Punishment For Embattled NY Rep, Report Says After months of investigating embattled New York Rep. George Santos, the House Ethics Committee won’t recommend any punishment for the freshman lawmaker, ABC News reports. Instead, the ten-member committee, made up of five Republicans and five Democrats, will leave any disciplinary actions up to the House as a whole, Chair Michael Guest told the outlet. Santos, a Long Island Republican whose 3rd District includes parts of Nassau County and Queens, found himself in the committee’s sights in March 2023 after admitting that he lied about much of his background on the campaign trail. Earlier…
George Santos Campaign Staffer Admits Defrauding Donors By Impersonating Speaker's Aide George Santos Campaign Staffer Admits Defrauding Donors By Impersonating Speaker's Aide
George Santos Campaign Staffer Admits Defrauding Donors By Impersonating Speaker's Aide A campaign staffer who worked to elect New York Rep. George Santos has confessed to impersonating a high-level Congressional aide in order to raise money for him and line his own pockets. Samuel Miele, age 27, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in Central Islip federal court on Tuesday, Nov. 14. Miele was a fundraiser for Santos’ congressional campaigns in both 2020 and 2022, according to the US Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District. Earlier Report: George Santos Pleads Not Guilty To 10 New Federal Charges; Here's When He'll Stand Trial Santos ran as a Republican and was elected to …
Why Uber Is Paying NJ Record $100 Million Back In Taxes Why Uber Is Paying NJ Record $100 Million Back In Taxes
Why Uber Is Paying NJ Record $100 Million Back In Taxes In a record-setting misclassification case, Uber has agreed to pay New Jersey $100 million back in taxes after a state audit found the ride-share company misclassified drivers as independent contractors. This is the most amount of money New Jersey has received for this type of case, and covers 297,866 drivers. The payment follows New Jersey Department of Labor (NJDOL) audits that assessed Uber and its subsidiary Rasier LLC a combined $78 million in past-due contributions plus penalties and interest of $22 million.  Employers who misclassify workers as independent contractors skip…
Yonkers Man Among Trio Nabbed In $701K Fraud Scheme, Feds Say Yonkers Man Among Trio Nabbed In $701K Fraud Scheme, Feds Say
Yonkers Man Among Trio Nabbed In $701K Fraud Scheme, Feds Say Three men are facing federal charges for allegedly using other people’s identities to defraud the New York Labor Department out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Errol Murray, age 21, of Yonkers; Taliek Lanier, age 22, of Albany; and Thomas Brace, age 61, of Altoona, Pennsylvania, formerly of Albany, were all arrested on federal charges of mail and wire fraud, plus identity theft. Federal prosecutors said the trio conspired with a 36-year-old Albany woman, Jamie Johnson, and provided her with the personal identifying information of other people. Jonson pleaded guilty in February 2022 of…
Capital District Man Admits To $207K Unemployment Insurance Fraud Capital District Man Admits To $207K Unemployment Insurance Fraud
Capital District Man Admits To $207K Unemployment Insurance Fraud A Capital District man could spend decades in federal prison after admitting to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits. Kahleke Taylor, age 21, of Albany, pleaded guilty to mail fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges Tuesday, Aug. 9, in federal court in Albany. Prosecutors said Taylor stole the personal information of other people on social media and then used that information to file false unemployment insurance applications with the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL). On one application, filed in A…
Four Face Federal Indictment In Maryland For $3M COVID-19 Fraud Scheme Four Face Federal Indictment In Maryland For $3M COVID-19 Fraud Scheme
Four Face Federal Indictment In Maryland For $3M Covid-19 Fraud Scheme Four Maryland residents are facing federal indictment for a CARES Act COVID-19 unemployment fraud scheme that saw over $3 million in losses, officials say. Three of the suspects had an initial court appearance in Baltimore on Thursday, July 21, while the fourth was scheduled to appear on Friday, July 22 in Florida. Those facing charges:  Tyshawna Davis, 38, of Gwynn Oak; Donna Jones, 55, of Cockeysville; Devante Smith, 27, of Hanover; Tila Woods, 44, of Baltimore. From June 2020 through May 2021, the four used the identification information of their victims to fraudulently obtain une…
COVID-19: Springfield Woman Admits To Fraud Related To Pandemic COVID-19: Springfield Woman Admits To Fraud Related To Pandemic
Covid-19: Springfield Woman Admits To Fraud Related To Pandemic A Western Massachusetts woman admitted to a $1.2 million unemployment fraud scheme that she ran during the COVID-19 pandemic to illegally obtain unemployment benefits. Audri Ford-Victory, age 61, of Springfield, pleaded guilty in US District Court to one count of wire fraud in connection to her involvement in a scheme with a co-conspirator to profit from the pandemic. Prosecutors said that Ford-Victory and her co-conspirator submitted more than 100 fraudulent Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claims resulting in more than $1.2 million in payments. Approximately half of the PUA claims…
Feds: NJ Scammer, Accomplice Submit $1.2M In Bogus COVID-19 Unemployment Claims Feds: NJ Scammer, Accomplice Submit $1.2M In Bogus COVID-19 Unemployment Claims
Feds: NJ Scammer, Accomplice Submit $1.2M In Bogus Covid-19 Unemployment Claims A Paterson man and an accomplice filed nearly $1.2 million in bogus COVID-related unemployment claims over the course of three months, federal authorities in Massachusetts charged. Omar Thompson, 39, and his unidentified female partner submitted more than 100 fraudulent Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims, sometimes recruiting people from other states in the scheme and pocketing kickbacks, they said. Roughly half of the claims were submitted on behalf of people with out-of-state driver’s licenses and mailing addresses, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Massachusetts. In anoth…
'Help Is Here' White House Tour Begins This Week In NJ, PA 'Help Is Here' White House Tour Begins This Week In NJ, PA
'Help Is Here' White House Tour Begins This Week In NJ, PA President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris begin a "Help is Here" tour of the United States this week, beginning in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Biden's wife and Harris' husband will be making some of the local visits aimed at explaining and promoting the newly-signed $1.9 trillion federal stimulus package. First Lady Jill Biden, a native of Hammonton, will be in Burlington, New Jersey, on Monday and President Biden plans a stop in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday.  The president was born in Scranton, and his wife grew up in South Jersey. "They’re eager to get out …
Police: Dozens Of Bogus Unemployment Claims Filed In Morris County Police: Dozens Of Bogus Unemployment Claims Filed In Morris County
Police: Dozens Of Bogus Unemployment Claims Filed In Morris County Police departments across Morris County say they have been flooded with fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance in recent months. At least 15 residents in Randolph reported having bogus claims filed in their name in October, according to Police Lt. William Harzula. "Residents became alerted to the scams by notification from their employers and/or letters received from the New Jersey Department of Labor advising them that their claims were received," said Harzula. Meanwhile, at least two instances of fraudulent unemployment claims have been reported in Mountain Lakes — one vi…
Workless NJ: Lyndhurst Mom Has Idea For NJ Labor Department Workless NJ: Lyndhurst Mom Has Idea For NJ Labor Department
Workless NJ: Lyndhurst Mom Has Idea For NJ Labor Department Train us. Hire us. Call us. That's Liz Restrepo's message to the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce on behalf of the state's several thousand unemployed residents. After being temporarily laid off from her longtime job in product development and account management earlier this month as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lyndhurst mom of two had no choice but to file for unemployment insurance for the first time in her career. She says it became clear to her immediately that "the system is broken and probably understaffed," but says there could be a better, more efficient…
COVID-19: Delays In State Tax Refunds Being Reported By New Yorkers COVID-19: Delays In State Tax Refunds Being Reported By New Yorkers
Covid-19: Delays In State Tax Refunds Being Reported By New Yorkers Some New Yorkers who filed early say they're experiencing delays in receiving their state tax refunds as the state continues combating the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Some of those New Yorkers are now out of work due to the virus and are waiting on thousands of dollars in refunds as the state’s Tax Department takes its time to issue checks. With tens of thousands out of work, any wage-earners have been given an extension to file federal and local taxes, through Wednesday, July 15. Many of those waiting for their refund checks have been waiting weeks after filing their taxes earl…
COVID-19: 'I Apologize For The Pain,' Cuomo Says As NY's Unemployment System Still Overwhelmed COVID-19: 'I Apologize For The Pain,' Cuomo Says As NY's Unemployment System Still Overwhelmed
Covid-19: 'I Apologize For The Pain,' Cuomo Says As NY's Unemployment System Still Overwhelmed New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an apology to stressed New Yorkers who have been unsuccessfully attempting to apply for unemployment insurance on a site that has repeatedly been crashing due to too much activity amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Between Monday, March 23 and Saturday, March 28, the New York Department of Labor received approximately 3.4 million hits on its site for unemployment filing, approximately 10 times what it would during a normal week. In that same period, the department has fielded more than 8 million calls, a 16,000 percent increase from the ave…
COVID-19: NYC Must Have Plan For Lack Of Adherence To Social Distancing Protocols, Cuomo Says COVID-19: NYC Must Have Plan For Lack Of Adherence To Social Distancing Protocols, Cuomo Says
Covid-19: NYC Must Have Plan For Lack Of Adherence To Social Distancing Protocols, Cuomo Says New York City has 24 hours to come up with a plan for review by the state to address the lack of adherence to social distancing protocols during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, including at parks and other public spaces, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. Cuomo made the announcement on Sunday, March 22 after visiting the city on Saturday, March 21. "I was in these parks and you wouldn't know there was anything going on," Cuomo said. "I saw kids playing basketball. There is not social distancing playing basketball. You can't stay six feet away from someone playing basketball.…
COVID-19: Molinaro To Host Coronavirus Telephone Town
Hall With Local Business Community COVID-19: Molinaro To Host Coronavirus Telephone Town
Hall With Local Business Community
Covid-Hall With Local Business Community In an effort to keep local businesses and leaders up to date on the ever-changing numbers and rules associated with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro will host a telephone Town Hall meeting. The event is scheduled for 1 p.m., Friday, March 20 and will provide updates on the county's response to the evolving pandemic, its economic impacts and relief efforts, as well as answer participants’ questions.  “Given this unprecedented health situation, we in Dutchess County Government understand the hardships being faced by our own business community, and…
COVID19: NYS Labor Department Website Crashes As Unemployment Claims Spike COVID19: NYS Labor Department Website Crashes As Unemployment Claims Spike
COVID19: NYS Labor Department Website Crashes As Unemployment Claims Spike As layoffs, particularly among small businesses, have started amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the economic impact is being felt in states around the region and across the nation. After New York state’s unemployment benefits website repeatedly crashed over the last several days, a system of filing alphabetically by the first letter of last names launched. It was outlined on the Department of Labor's Facebook page, where there have been numerous complaints posted by those having trouble accessing the main website. "The system is overwhelmed and keeps crashing," one comment pos…
COVID-19: Murphy Asks Trump For Temporary Hospitals As NJ Cases Skyrocket To 267 COVID-19: Murphy Asks Trump For Temporary Hospitals As NJ Cases Skyrocket To 267
Covid-19: Murphy Asks Trump For Temporary Hospitals As NJ Cases Skyrocket To 267 New Jersey's COVID-19 cases had risen to 267 -- with 89 new ones and three fatalities as of Tuesday, Gov. Phil Murphy said at an afternoon briefing. In anticipation of an even greater case increase, Murphy sent a letter to President Trump and Vice President Pence. The governor is military assistance in setting up temporary hospitals to alleviate strain on hospitals and ensure continuity of care for other emergencies. In addition to urging residents to follow the social distancing measures put into place, Murphy ordered all indoor shopping malls, amusement parks and amusement centers in…
20 New Long Island COVID-19 Cases Confirmed, With Drive-Through Testing Facility Coming 20 New Long Island COVID-19 Cases Confirmed, With Drive-Through Testing Facility Coming
20 New Long Island Covid-19 Cases Confirmed, With Drive-Through Testing Facility Coming Twenty new cases of the novel strain of the coronavirus have been reported on Long Island the last 24 hours. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he's authorized mobile, drive-through testing facility that is expected to open next week at a sign to be announced on the Island. The announcements came Saturday afternoon, March 14, just hours after the first New York state resident died of COVID-19, an 82-year-old woman with underlying respiratory issues in New York City. Seventeen of the new Long Island cases are in Nassau County. The breakdown through the state is now as follows: Albany County…
Positive Test At College In Area Gives Hudson Valley 197 COVID-19 Cases; Trump Awaits Results Positive Test At College In Area Gives Hudson Valley 197 COVID-19 Cases; Trump Awaits Results
Positive Test At College In Area Gives Hudson Valley 197 Covid-19 Cases; Trump Awaits Results Counties in the Hudson Valley, including Westchester, now account for 197 of 525 cases in New York State. The fourth positive case of the novel strain of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Dutchess County has been confirmed as being a member of the community at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson. Dutchess County announced the positive result early Saturday afternoon, March 14, just hours after the first New York state resident died of COVID-19, an 82-year-old woman with underlying respiratory issues in New York City. The breakdown through the state is now as follows: Albany County:…
State Agencies Directed To Help Furloughed Workers Amid Longest Government Shutdown State Agencies Directed To Help Furloughed Workers Amid Longest Government Shutdown
State Agencies Directed To Help Furloughed Workers Amid Longest Government Shutdown Some relief may be coming for furloughed federal employees in New York as the country’s longest government shutdown enters its fourth week. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that state agencies have been directed to provide support for federal workers, including those seeking unemployment insurance benefits. The Department of Labor has been instructed to accelerate the unemployment application process and extend the hours at the Call Center for those seeking benefits. "It is unconscionable that the President is holding hostage the wages and livelihoods of hard-working Americans in an att…
Cook Accused Of Stealing Unemployment Benefits In Westchester While Out Of Country Cook Accused Of Stealing Unemployment Benefits In Westchester While Out Of Country
Cook Accused Of Stealing Unemployment Benefits In Westchester While Out Of Country A seasonal employee in Westchester has been busted for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars through unemployment insurance theft schemes while he was out of the country. Greenwich resident Juan Vega was arrested this week as part of an ongoing investigation into unemployment benefits insurance fraud, Westchester County District Attorney Anthony Scarpino, Jr., announced on Tuesday. The arrest comes less than a week after three others were charged for similar offenses. Vega worked as a seasonally employed cook at the Elmwood Country Club in White Plains during the summer. The felony compla…
More Prison Time For Fort Lee Con Man Who Used Prisoners' IDs On Claims More Prison Time For Fort Lee Con Man Who Used Prisoners' IDs On Claims
More Prison Time For Fort Lee Con Man Who Used Prisoners' IDs On Claims FORT LEE, N.J. – A former Fort Lee mortgage broker already headed to a federal pen must also spend at least three years in state prison for filing bogus unemployment and temporary disability claims that netted $317,736 by using the names of prison inmates. Jose Crespo, 52, must also pay the government back after pleading guilty last April to computer theft. Crespo's wife, Marilyn Crespo, 50, pleaded guilty to theft charge and was sentenced to a drug court program that carries a five-year prison sentence if she fails to meet its requirements. Her husband's friend, Craig Mallone, 62, of Wilm…