Department of
Workforce Development Achieves Fraud Conviction for Reporting of Falsified
Wages
Bobby Polen found guilty of felony Welfare Fraud for
false self-employment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
INDIANAPOLIS (September 20, 2017) —
Bobby Polen of Indianapolis was recently found guilty of felony
Welfare Fraud after it was discovered by the Indiana Department of Workforce
Development (DWD) that he had fraudulently claimed unemployment insurance benefits
for more than three and a half years. Pollen served 58 days in jail, was placed on probation for an additional 833
days, and was ordered to pay restitution to DWD in the amount of $9,278.
DWD first became aware of the possible improper claiming of
benefits by Polen in July 2015 when it was discovered that he appeared to be
the owner of the business paying his benefits. When questioned, he stated that Alan Walden was the owner of the
business, which was known as Movie Mania, but the social security number he
gave for Walden was the same as his own.
Polen did not cooperate with the investigation to provide
records as requested. Subsequent to this
investigation, an employee of DWD’s Tax Administration Division noticed that
the individual identifying himself as Walden, the business owner, and also as Polen,
the benefits recipient, appeared to have the same voice during telephone
conversations with the Division. It was
found that Polen, as the employer, was attempting to add fraudulent wages to
his claim so that he could receive a larger amount of weekly benefits.
By submitting fraudulent wages for quarters he was not
actually working, Polen was able to receive benefits he would not have otherwise
been able to obtain. Polen claimed and
was paid benefits during the period November 17, 2012, to April 11, 2016, based
on the fraudulent wages.
“Mr.
Polen’s fraudulent behavior was detected by DWD’s highly-trained investigators,”
said Kate Shelby, DWD Director of Unemployment Insurance Operations. “Mr. Polen
must now live with the consequences of his crimes – a felony conviction, jail
time and an order to pay back money he stole from the Unemployment Insurance
Trust Fund.
Due to a lack of cooperation in providing the proper
documentation requested, Polen’s case was turned over to the Indiana State
Police, which developed information that alleged Polen had engaged in acts of
fraud. In an interview with the State
Police, Polen admitted to the fraud. It
was determined that during the period of February 2012 through October 2016,
Polen submitted documents to DWD that said he was employed by Movie Mania,
d/b/a ABC. Evidence also showed the
business was dissolved from DWD records in June 2015 after a long period of
inactivity.
“We’re very pleased with the results of this case,” said Betty
Titus, Chief, UI Compliance for DWD. “We hope the success of this case and
others like it provide a deterrent to individuals who may be thinking about
purposely committing fraud. These types of results make our unemployment
insurance program stronger for the thousands of Hoosiers who honestly and
accurately report wages.”
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About the Indiana Department of
Workforce Development
DWD serves
the worker and the employer to ensure workplace success. DWD is committed to
innovating and invigorating Indiana’s economic future by providing WorkOne
Career Centers, Unemployment Insurance, Labor Market Information, Regional
Workforce Strategies and Professional Training. Through these services, DWD is
able to develop a premier workforce that enables Indiana employers to flourish
and entices businesses from outside our state to relocate to Indiana.
For
additional information, contact:
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