Jan. 31, 2020 -- Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. and the NYS Department of Labor Fraud Investigations Division announced the Westchester DA’s Office is among the top five in the state for returning illegally gained unemployment insurance payments to the state. In 2019 alone, the DA’s Investigations Division Economic Crimes Bureau returned $243,857 in restitution from unemployment insurance fraud criminal prosecutions. Assistant District Attorney Nicole Gamble, of the Investigations Division prosecuted these cases.

These are the total amounts returned for the last three years, since DA Scarpino took office.

  • 2017: $317,842
  • 2018: $209,439
  • 2019: $243,857

In 2019, of the 62 District Attorney’s Offices in New York State, the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office ranked No. 5 in the state in returning Unemployment Insurance Fraud Restitution to the Department of Labor.

The New York State Department of Labor operates one of the largest Unemployment Insurance systems in the country. A part of that responsibility is to prevent and stop fraud to protect the integrity of the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. It’s important to prevent fraudulent claims that result erroneous payments because may lead to increased costs for businesses and consumers.

DA Scarpino said, “Our Economic Crimes Bureau actively pursues those who would steal money from the people of New York State by falsely claiming unemployment benefits. They work closely with the Fraud Investigations team at the Department of Labor to stop criminals from taking illicit benefits and to garner restitution for the state. We are very proud of their work and will continue to support efforts to keep scammers from collecting money not owed to them.”

“I thank our investigators and the Westchester County DA’s office for their commitment to fighting unemployment insurance fraud,” said New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon. “We have no tolerance for those who defraud the system, and this should serve as a reminder that those who break the law will be held accountable. Our efforts to preserve the integrity of the system are stronger when we work together. The $40 million in restitution achieved through statewide prosecutions over the past several years is prime evidence of that.”

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