Two Marion County Men Plead Guilty to Unemployment Insurance Fraud
INDIANAPOLIS (July 13, 2017) –
Indianapolis resident Joe Shockley Jr., 50, pled guilty to unemployment insurance fraud in Marion County Superior Criminal Court 6 on June 22, 2017. Shockley was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to repay DWD $47,194 for the benefits he fraudulently collected.
Camby resident Westley McKinnie, 35, pled guilty to unemployment insurance fraud in Marion County Criminal Court 6 on June 28, 2017. McKinnie was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to repay the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) $21,150.53 for the benefits he fraudulently collected.
Through the use of agency records, DWD employees began an investigation and
determined that both Shockley and McKinnie were working and receiving wages while claiming
unemployment insurance benefits.
DWD
receives wage reports and new hire data from Hoosier employers documenting who
is employed and receiving compensation. The agency uses this information to
ensure people are not collecting unemployment insurance benefits while
working.
Since 2014, Indiana courts have ordered fraudsters to repay $8.3
million in restitution to the state’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund.
“Combatting fraud preserves employer-paid monies in the trust fund for those
individuals whom are truly in need of unemployment insurance benefits,” said
Kate Shelby, DWD, Unemployment Insurance Operations Director.
You can help combat unemployment
insurance fraud and abuse by reporting it online at www.in.gov/dwd/fraud. Your efforts will
help ensure tax dollars are spent wisely and unemployment insurance benefits
are paid only to people who are eligible to receive them. You do not need to
provide your name or any other identifying information in order to file a
complaint.
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For additional information, contact:
Kayli Schroeder, 317-232-7358, kschroeder@dwd.in.gov
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