Press Releases
11/22/2022
Sisters Charged With Larceny, Unemployment Compensation Fraud
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Rocky Hill, CT) – A New Britain woman has been arrested and charged with illegally collecting almost $13,000 in Unemployment Compensation benefits. Her younger sister, a college student in New Jersey, has been arrested for attempting to fraudulently collect benefits.
Sherese Mattis, age 35, of New Britain, was charged on November 18, 2022 with one count each of Larceny in the First Degree by Defrauding a Public Community and Felony Unemployment Compensation Fraud.
Kayla Delgado, age 24 and Mattis’ younger sister, of Harrison, New Jersey, was charged on November 21, 2022 with Criminal Attempt to Commit Larceny in the Second Degree by Defrauding a Public Community and Criminal Attempt to Commit Misdemeanor Unemployment Fraud.
The arrest is the result of a joint investigation conducted by Hartford Police Department and the Unemployment Compensation Fraud Unit in the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney following a complaint by the Connecticut Department of Labor. Unemployment benefits are funded by taxes paid by employers in Connecticut.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Mattis fraudulently collected approximately $12,599 in unemployment benefits between January and June 2019. The unemployment benefits were collected by Mattis after she quit her job as the office manager at a medical practice in Hartford. Unemployment benefits have been designated as economic support for individuals who have become unemployed through no fault of their own.
In March 2019, Delgado attempted to fraudulently collect unemployment benefits by claiming to be an employee for the same Hartford medical practice at which Mattis was the office manager. In fact, Delgado was never employed by the practice. Her claim was challenged by the Connecticut Department of Labor and no benefits were paid out.
Mattis was released on a promise to appear in court. Her next court appearance is scheduled for November 28, 2022 in Superior Court, G.A. No. 14 in Hartford.
Delgado was released on a promise to appear in court. Her next court appearance is scheduled for December 19, 2022, in Superior Court, G.A. No. 14 in Hartford.
The charges against both Mattis and Delgado are merely accusations and they are presumed innocent unless and until they are found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Larceny in the First Degree by Defrauding a Public Community is a Class B felony punishable by not less than one year nor more than 20 years in prison and/or up to a $15,000 fine. 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.
Criminal Attempt to Commit Larceny in the Second Degree by Defrauding a Public Community is a Class C felony punishable by not less than one year nor more than 10 years in prison and/or up to a $10,000 fine. Criminal Attempt to Commit Unemployment Compensation Fraud is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by not more than 1 year nor more than 5 years in prison and/or up to a $5,000 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 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.