Tag:

Unemployment benefits

Worcester
News
Ex-State Sen. In Fitchburg Charged With 28 Counts Of Fraud: Feds Ex-State Sen. In Fitchburg Charged With 28 Counts Of Fraud: Feds
Ex-State Sen. In Fitchburg Charged With 28 Counts Of Fraud: Feds A former Republican state senator who represented Worcester and Middlesex counties was charged with illegally taking thousands in COVID relief money and concealing cash from the IRS, federal authorities said.  Dean Tran, 48, of Fitchburg, was indicted on 25 counts of wire fraud and three charges of filing false tax reports on Friday, Nov. 17, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. He pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.  Tran served in the Massachusetts Senate from 2017-2021.  Investigators said Tran collected $30,120 in unemployment benefits after being voted out of o…

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by Josh Lanier
Cumberland
News
PA Caregiver Found Guilty In Conning Elderly Patient Out Of $100K — Even On His Death Bed: DA PA Caregiver Found Guilty In Conning Elderly Patient Out Of $100K — Even On His Death Bed: DA
PA Caregiver Found Guilty In Conning Elderly Patient Out Of $100K — Even On His Death Bed: DA A Cumberland County jury returned a guilty verdict for a 46-year-old woman who stole nearly $100,000 from the 73-year-old man she'd been caring for — right up until the day he died, authorities said. Wendy Springer-Parks claimed the nearly $100,000 she received from the victim over a 17-month period was compensation for her services as a caregiver, as well as the victim’s generosity in paying her bills as they were “planning for the future," the Cumberland County District Attorney's Office said. Springer-Parks told troopers that the victim regularly signed blank checks that she kept on hand…

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by Cecilia Levine
White Plains
News
COVID-19: Man Charged In Hudson Valley For Attempting To Steal $1.9M In Benefits, Feds Say COVID-19: Man Charged In Hudson Valley For Attempting To Steal $1.9M In Benefits, Feds Say
Covid-19: Man Charged In Hudson Valley For Attempting To Steal $1.9M In Benefits, Feds Say Federal officials have charged a 40-year-old man for his role in attempting to steal nearly $2 million in COVID-19 unemployment benefits during the pandemic. Yohauris Rodriguez Hernandez was arrested in Orange County on Wednesday, Jan. 19 in Goshen and now faces a host of federal charges in connection to his role in a COVID-19 unemployment benefit scheme. It is alleged that Hernandez and a co-conspirator attempted to steal more than $1.9 million from the New York State Department of Labor (NYS DOL) and other states’ agencies tasked with the administration of unemployment benefits. US Atto…

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by Zak Failla
Atlantic
News
Nearly 60% Of NJ Small Businesses May Call It Quits Due To COVID-19: Survey Nearly 60% Of NJ Small Businesses May Call It Quits Due To COVID-19: Survey
Nearly 60% Of NJ Small Businesses May Call It Quits Due To Covid-19: Survey More than half of New Jersey's small business owners may call it quits due to COVID-19, according to a new survey. The New Jersey Business & Industry Association report found that of the business owners contacted, 28% said they will look to sell or shutdown their business sooner than expected due to continued obstacles, while 31% said they are still determining if their plans will change. “When nearly 60% of employers are either looking to end their businesses sooner, or considering it, due to these continued obstacles, it should be a red flag for our policymakers wh…

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by Joe Gomez
Delaware
Police & Fire
PA Caregiver Stole Disabled Clients' Personal Info To Get $90K In Unemployment Benefits: AG PA Caregiver Stole Disabled Clients' Personal Info To Get $90K In Unemployment Benefits: AG
PA Caregiver Stole Disabled Clients' Personal Info To Get $90K In Unemployment Benefits: AG A grand jury in Pennsylvania has indicted a caregiver for stealing the personal information of disabled clients in exchange for nearly $90,000 in PUA funds, authorities announced Thursday. Nelson Fornah, 35, of Darby, was charged with identity theft, access device fraud, tampering with public records, and other offenses, according to Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “As a caregiver, this defendant was responsible for supporting adult individuals with disabilities in order to help them build trust and communicate with others. Instead, he used his position of trust to take advantage o…

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by Nicole Acosta
Bucks
News
DON'T FALL FOR IT: Some Unemployed PA Residents Scammed By Phony Facebook Page DON'T FALL FOR IT: Some Unemployed PA Residents Scammed By Phony Facebook Page
DON'T Fall FOR IT: Some Unemployed PA Residents Scammed By Phony Facebook Page Pennsylvania officials are urging caution after some residents fell victim to identity scams on a made-up Facebook page that closely resembled the one used by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. The scammers pretended to be staff members of the Pennsylvania Department of "Labour" and Industry in an attempt to get workers’ social security numbers or unemployment claim numbers, a department spokesperson told the Philadelphia Inquirer. The fraudsters then use that personal information to steal victims' unemployment benefits or commit other forms of identity theft, departmen…

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by Nicole Acosta
Nassau
News
COVID-19: Here's What To Know About New Stimulus Check COVID-19: Here's What To Know About New Stimulus Check
Covid-19: Here's What To Know About New Stimulus Check Relief is now finally on the way for Americans amid the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. It took more than a week of drama after Congressional leaders unveiled an approximately $900 billion stimulus deal on Sunday, Dec. 20that will provide Americans that qualify direct payments of $600 for individuals to help offset the hardships caused during the crisis. The $600 is half of what was directed during the first round of stimulus checks earlier this year. Payments are phased down from $600 for those making more than $75,000 annually and are completely phased out for indivi…

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by Joe Lombardi
Fairfield
News
COVID-19: 38K Low-Wage Earners In CT Will Receive Additional Retroactive Unemployment COVID-19: 38K Low-Wage Earners In CT Will Receive Additional Retroactive Unemployment
Covid-19: 38K Low-Wage Earners In CT Will Receive Additional Retroactive Unemployment The state of Connecticut will distribute about $55 million among 38,000 earners, each making up to $1,800 in retroactive coronavirus aid.  Employees who made less than $100 per week will receive $300 per week for the time between July and September, according to Gov. Ned Lamont.   “This pandemic is wreaking havoc with our health," said Lamont. "It’s also wreaking havoc with a lot of family budgets and small business, and we’ve got to use every tool in the tool kit as we try to maximize support for working families in this state, as we continue to wait for the federal gov…

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by Christina Coulter
Mercer
News
Booker On COVID-19: Mitch McConnell Poses Greatest Obstacle In 'Getting Crisis Under Control' Booker On COVID-19: Mitch McConnell Poses Greatest Obstacle In 'Getting Crisis Under Control'
Booker On Covid-19: Mitch McConnell Poses Greatest Obstacle In 'Getting Crisis Under Control' With coronavirus cases rising dramatically nationwide, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker said the time is now "to get this crisis under control." "We cannot wait. We must do something now," Booker said during a daily COVID-19 briefing in Trenton on Monday. "It deserves a big response."  The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives remain at odds over what should b included in the next stimulus relief bill, recent news reports say. Booker said he will call on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, to take major action before President-elect Joe Biden assumes office in Janua…

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by Jon Craig
Lewisboro
News
Beware Of ID Theft, Unemployment Scams, Westchester DA Warns Beware Of ID Theft, Unemployment Scams, Westchester DA Warns
Beware Of ID Theft, Unemployment Scams, Westchester DA Warns There has been an uptick in opportunistic fraudsters attempting unemployment benefit and identity theft scams in Westchester since the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic plagued the region. The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office issued an alert warning of a surge in scams since the COVID-19 outbreak began in mid-March. According to District Attorney Anthony Scarpino, Jr., “Anyone who has been working or has been laid off can become a victim of unscrupulous bad actors who seize identity, file a claim for unemployment benefits using personal identifying information, and obtain m…

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by Zak Failla
Mercer
Business
NJ Extends Unemployment Benefits Another 20 Weeks NJ Extends Unemployment Benefits Another 20 Weeks
NJ Extends Unemployment Benefits Another 20 Weeks Most of New Jersey's unemployed workers will be eligible for 20 more weeks of unemployment benefits -- totaling more than a year's worth of jobless pay, authorities said. Prior to Wednesday's announcement by the state Labor Department, unemployed New Jerseyans ran out of state and federal benefits after 39 weeks, About 1.3 million workers have filed for unemployment benefits in New Jersey since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. The Labor Department paid $8.2 billion in state and federal benefits to eligible workers over that three-month period. “The state extension kicks in after clai…

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by Jon Craig
Mercer
News
POLL: Most Unemployed New Jerseyans Have Received Benefits -- Have You? POLL: Most Unemployed New Jerseyans Have Received Benefits -- Have You?
Poll: Most Unemployed New Jerseyans Have Received Benefits -- Have You? Approximately 94 percent of the state's unemployed citizens have received benefits, Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday. Have you? Story continues below poll. New Jersey has surpassed another grim milestone during the coronavirus outbreak, state officials said. More than 1 million residents have applied for unemployment benefits between March 15 and June 6, receiving 6.2 billion in jobless payments -- the largest volume in the state's history. All 70,000 residents who have exhausted their state benefits have qualified for federal pandemic emergency jobless payments, he said. "It's by far the l…

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by Jon Craig
Monmouth
Lifestyle
Life After Layoff: Matawan Man Uses Time Off To Photograph Historic Moments Life After Layoff: Matawan Man Uses Time Off To Photograph Historic Moments
Life After Layoff: Matawan Man Uses Time Off To Photograph Historic Moments A row of orange barriers was the only thing that separated Patrick O'Brien from a line of police officers at the Asbury Park rally for social injustice and police brutality. As protestors rallied around him, the moment seemed surreal to O'Brien. Nearly three months prior at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, he was laid off from his job. It was a position he'd held for five years. His future seemed uncertain -- everything seemed uncertain. But there he was -- at the rally. In the front row alongside the protestors. His camera in his hands, watching as a black officer in the line facing hi…

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by Cecilia Levine
Mount Pleasant
Police & Fire
State Police Issue Alert For Area Man Wanted For Stealing Thousands State Police Issue Alert For Area Man Wanted For Stealing Thousands
State Police Issue Alert For Area Man Wanted For Stealing Thousands New York State Police are seeking the public’s assistance as they attempt to track down a man wanted for stealing nearly $10,000 in unemployment benefits. An alert this week was issued by state police in Dutchess regarding 42-year-old Shaun Sestak, who is wanted by the Town of LaGrange Justice Court for charges that include third-degree grand larceny, falsifying business records and filing a false instrument. According to police, Sestak is wanted for stealing $9,350 in unemployment benefits from the New York State Insurance Fund while he was gainfully employed. Police said he is believed to…

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by Zak Failla
Mercer
Business
Unemployed NJ Workers Can Soon Claim 13 Extra Weeks Jobless Pay Unemployed NJ Workers Can Soon Claim 13 Extra Weeks Jobless Pay
Unemployed NJ Workers Can Soon Claim 13 Extra Weeks Jobless Pay Thousands of jobless New Jerseyans who exhausted their 26 weeks of unemployment benefits will soon be able to apply for an extra 13 weeks of pay.  The money is being made available under the federal stimulus starting this Sunday, the state Department of Labor announced. The first round of eligible workers will be notified this week, the agency said. Approximately 70,000 New Jersey residents have exhausted their jobless benefits. New Jersey has processed about 760,000 jobless applications, and many residents remain frustrated by delays and long waiting times on Labor Department ph…

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by Jon Craig
Mercer
Business
NJ Approves 139K New Jobless Claims: Have You Gotten Yours Yet? (POLL) NJ Approves 139K New Jobless Claims: Have You Gotten Yours Yet? (POLL)
NJ Approves 139K New Jobless Claims: Have You Gotten Yours Yet? (Poll) Despite weeks-long delays in distributing more than $2.7 billion in unemployment benefits, New Jersey expects to process another 139,000 in jobless claims during the next week, state officials said (story continues below poll). The newly-approved claims include 60,000 new federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) applicants, state Labor Department Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo said at a Thursday coronavirus briefing. All totaled, nearly 1.1 million workers in the Garden State have successfully applied for jobless benefits during eight weeks of layoffs and nearly 800,000 of those are…

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by Jon Craig
Mt. Kisco
News
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…

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by Joe Lombardi
Greenwich
Politics
Blumenthal Among 137 Members Of Congress Donating Paychecks During Shutdown Blumenthal Among 137 Members Of Congress Donating Paychecks During Shutdown
Blumenthal Among 137 Members Of Congress Donating Paychecks During Shutdown With the country mired in the longest government shutdown in American history, dozens of members of Congress have vowed to refuse their paychecks or donate their earnings in a show of solidarity with federal employees who have been without pay for weeks. The Connecticut State Department of Labor estimated that there are several thousand federal employees in the state, all of whom have been without a paycheck since the shutdown began on Dec. 22 as politicians haggle about immigration reform. In total, an estimated 800,000 federal workers have been without work for weeks. Congress has passed …

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by Zak Failla
Mount Pleasant
News
Supervisor In Hudson Valley Admits To Stealing Unemployment Benefits, Will Resign Supervisor In Hudson Valley Admits To Stealing Unemployment Benefits, Will Resign
Supervisor In Hudson Valley Admits To Stealing Unemployment Benefits, Will Resign A town supervisor in the Hudson Valley pleaded guilty to stealing unemployment benefits while he was being paid as an elected official and will resign from his position, according to the State Attorney General's Office. Alex Jamieson, supervisor of the town of Chester in Orange County, pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of offering a false instrument for filing, the AG's Office said. Under the plea agreement, he is required to pay full restitution of $5,695, resign from his position, and will be sentenced to a conditional discharge, they added. Jamieson, who is paid $79,000 a year as sup…

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by Kathy Reakes
Fairfield
News
Man Admits To CT Identity Theft, Unemployment Benefit Scheme Man Admits To CT Identity Theft, Unemployment Benefit Scheme
Man Admits To CT Identity Theft, Unemployment Benefit Scheme A man has admitted to stealing the identities of people in 38 states - including Connecticut - to obtain unemployment insurance benefits. Illinois resident has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, and is facing up to two years in prison, for fraudulently filing claims with the Connecticut Department of Labor for unemployment benefits in the names of identity theft victims, using their names, dates of birth and social security numbers.  Those funds were then diverted to Green Dot debit cards that he opened in the names of other victims of his theft. According to John Durham, the Unite…

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by Zak Failla