Patricia Garcia, 31, of Old Bridge, allegedly redirected $18,825 from claims into her bank account by accessing the department's computer system, the office said.
The Mercer County Courthouse.
TRENTON — A former unemployment insurance clerk at the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development was sentenced today to 364 days in jail for stealing unemployment benefits, the Attorney General’s Office said.
Patricia Garcia, 31, of Old Bridge, allegedly redirected $18,825 from claims into her bank account by accessing the department’s computer system, the office said.
Garcia pleaded guilty on Nov. 18 to third-degree theft by deception, prosecutors said. At that time, she admitted redirecting the money from four different claims into her personal bank account between Dec. 19, 2011 and Jan. 27, 2012, prosecutors said.
She reactivated claims that should have been discontinued, either because the person found work or the claim was disqualified or not recertified for benefits, prosecutors said. Garcia filed the fourth claim on behalf of a person who was collecting a pending disability insurance claim, prosecutors said.
Mercer County Superior Court Judge Mark Fleming sentenced Garcia to 364 days in jail as a condition of 18 months of probation. She is also barred from public employment in the state and must pay restitution of $18,825, prosecutors said.
The Division of Criminal Justice Specialized Crimes Bureau investigated the claims on behalf of fraud investigators from the state’s Department of Labor-Office of Internal Audit.
CONNECT WITH US:
On mobile or desktop:
• Like Times of Trenton on Facebook
• Follow @TimesofTrenton on Twitter