North Webster resident Mary J. Rico, 50, pled guilty in Kosciusko County Circuit Court One to unemployment insurance fraud, a Level Six felony. Rico purposefully defrauded the system by collecting unemployment insurance benefits while working full-time.
Through the use of agency records, an Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) employee began an investigation and determined that Rico was working and receiving wages while claiming unemployment insurance benefits.
Rico was ordered to repay $52,891 to DWD for the benefits she fraudulently collected. She was also sentenced to two and a half years on probation.
DWD receives wage reports and new hire data from Indiana employers documenting who is employed and receiving compensation. The agency uses this information to ensure people are not collecting unemployment insurance benefits while working.
You can also help combat unemployment insurance fraud and abuse by reporting it online at www.in.gov/dwd/fraud. Your efforts will help ensure tax dollars are spent wisely and unemployment insurance benefits are only paid to people who are eligible to receive them. You do not need to provide your name or any other identifying information in order to file a complaint in regards to unemployment insurance fraud.
