WATERBURY — A Waterbury man is facing criminal charges after police said he collected close to $12,000 in unemployment benefits while employed.
Police said they charged Jose Flete, 48, with one count each of larceny in the first degree by defrauding a public community and unemployment compensation fraud.
Officers said the arrest came as a result of an investigation into a complaint by the Connecticut Department of Labor. According to police, Flete fraudulently collected approximately $11,907 in unemployment benefits from March 2012 through June 2015 all while he was working at a country club in Redding.
Police said larceny in the first degree by defrauding a public community is a Class B felony and can serve a jail sentence from one year to no more than 20 years and/or up to a $15,000 fine. Unemployment compensation fraud in the amount of $500 is a Class D felony and can serve a jail sentence from one year to no more than five years and/or up to a $5,000 fine.
Flete was released on a $10,000 bond and is scheduled to appear at New Britain Superior Court on May 14.
