Press Releases
01/23/2023
Waterbury Man Charged With Felony Unemployment Compensation Fraud, Larceny
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Rocky Hill, CT) – A Waterbury man was arrested today and charged with illegally collecting more than $17,000 in Unemployment Compensation benefits.
William S. Johnson, age 34, of Faber Avenue, Waterbury, was charged with one count each of Felony Unemployment Compensation Fraud and Larceny in the First Degree by Defrauding a Public Community.
The arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by the Statewide Prosecution Bureau, Unemployment Compensation Fraud Unit, in the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney following a complaint by the Connecticut Department of Labor.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Johnson fraudulently collected approximately $17,401 in unemployment benefits from May through September 2020. Johnson was working and grossly under-reporting his wages while he was collecting the unemployment benefits.
Johnson was released on a $10,000 non-surety bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for January 27, 2023, in Superior Court, G.A. No. 15, New Britain. The charges against Johnson are merely accusations and he is presumed innocent unless and until he is found guilty.
Unemployment Compensation Fraud in excess of $500 is a Class D felony punishable by not less than 1 year nor more than 5 years in prison and/or up to a $5,000 fine. Larceny in the First Degree by Defrauding a Public Community is a Class B felony punishable by not less than 1 year nor more than 20 years in prison and/or up to a $15,000 fine.
The case is being prosecuted by the Unemployment Compensation Fraud Unit which was established under a partnership between the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice and the Connecticut Department of Labor to investigate and prosecute alleged fraud in the unemployment compensation program. It is financed with funds provided by the U.S. Department of Labor.