South Bend resident Brenda J. Sanders, 54, pled guilty in St. Joseph County Circuit Court to unemployment insurance fraud, a Class C Felony. Sanders 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 Sanders was working and receiving wages while claiming unemployment insurance benefits.
Sanders was ordered to repay $20,044 to DWD for the benefits she fraudulently collected. She was also sentenced to three years of probation.
DWD receives wage reports and new hire data from Hoosier 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 atwww.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.
