Office of the Attorney General: North Attleboro Man Pleads Guilty, Sentenced for Committing Unemployment Fraud

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

August 08, 2008

Contact:
Grant Woodman (AGO)
(617) 727-2543
Linnea Walsh (EOLWD)
(617) 626-7111


BOSTON – A North Attleboro man pled guilty yesterday in Boston Municipal Court on charges he schemed to collect over $8,000 in unemployment benefits while continuing to work. Sean Lennon, age 28, was charged with Unemployment Fraud (13 counts) and Larceny Over $250. Following a change of plea from not guilty to guilty, Boston Municipal Court Judge Mark Summerville sentenced Lennon to one year supervised probation and ordered him to pay restitution in the amount of $8,064.

Lennon applied for unemployment benefits from the Massachusetts Department of Workforce Development’s Division of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) in January 2006, while separated from his employer and began receiving benefits from January 2006 through August 2006. During part of this time, Lennon was working full-time as a carpenter in Pawtucket, R.I. and failed to disclose his employment status to DUA.

For each of the 14 weeks that Lennon fraudulently collected unemployment benefits, from May 2006 through August 2006, he notified the DUA that he was not working, but that he was able to work and was available for work. The fraudulent activities were initially detected by investigators from the DUA. Lennon was paid unemployment benefits totaling $8,064 while working.

Lennon was arraigned in Boston Municipal Court on March 26, 2008, at which time he entered a plea of not guilty and was released on personal recognizance. Lennon entered a change of plea to guilty yesterday in Boston Municipal Court.

To report unemployment fraud to the DUA, call the agency’s toll free fraud hotline at 1-800-354-9927 anytime, 24 hours a day. Callers may remain anonymous.

Assistant Attorney General Stephen Adams of Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Insurance and Unemployment Fraud Division prosecuted this case with assistance from investigator Pepper Daigler of the Attorney General’s Office and investigator Mark St. Onge from the DUA.