FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Rocky Hill, CT) - A Winsted man was arrested today and charged with illegally collecting almost $13,000 in Unemployment Compensation benefits.
Phillip D. Hughes, age 32, of 43 Beach Street, Winsted, was charged with one count each of Larceny in the First Degree by Defrauding a Public Community and Unemployment Compensation Fraud.
The arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by the Unemployment Compensation Fraud Unit of the Statewide Prosecution Bureau in the Office of the Chief State's Attorney following a complaint by the Connecticut Department of Labor.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Hughes fraudulently collected approximately $12,695 in unemployment benefits from December 2020 through July 2021. The unemployment benefits were collected by Hughes when, in fact, he was employed. Unemployment benefits have been designated as economic support for individuals who have become unemployed through no fault of their own. The benefits are funded by employers doing business in Connecticut.
Hughes is being held on a $20,000 surety bond following his arraignment today in Superior Court, G.A. No. 18. His next court date is January 5, 2022. The charges against Hughes are merely accusations and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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.
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.
The Unemployment Compensation Fraud Unit is grateful for the assistance it received from the Litchfield State's Attorney's Office.