FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Rocky Hill, CT) - A New Britain man has been arrested and charged with illegally collecting more than $26,000 in Unemployment Compensation benefits.
Flor Hiram Santiago, age 43, of Washington Street, New Britain, was charged on October 16, 2023 with one count each of Unemployment Overpayment in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 31-273(f)(2) and Larceny in the First Degree in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-122(a)(3).
The arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by the Statewide Prosecution Bureau’s 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, Santiago fraudulently collected $26,215 in unemployment benefits from April 25, 2020 to April 17, 2021. Santiago was earning weekly wages at a local roofing company during that time period and failed to report his wages while he was collecting the unemployment benefits.
Santiago was released on a $25,000 surety bond and is scheduled to appear in New Britain Superior Court, G.A. No. 15, on October 25, 2023. The charges are merely accusations and he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Unemployment Compensation Fraud Unit 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.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Kelly Davis of the Statewide Prosecution Bureau.