Press Releases
03/07/2023
Groton Woman Charged With Felony Unemployment Compensation Fraud, Larceny
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Rocky Hill, CT) - A Groton woman was arrested today and charged with illegally collecting more than $27,000 in Unemployment Compensation benefits.
Tavia Evinger, age 48, of School Street, Groton, 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, Evinger fraudulently collected approximately $27,377 in unemployment benefits from July 2020 through May 2021. Evinger was working and failed to report her wages while she was collecting the unemployment benefits.
Evinger was released on a $10,000 non-surety bond. Her next court appearance is scheduled for March 16, 2023, in Superior Court, G.A. No. 15, New Britain. The charges against Evinger are merely accusations and she is presumed innocent unless and until she 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 Division of Criminal Justice and the state 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.