Alden Man Pleaded Guilty in Unemployment Insurance Fraud Scam

Modified: October 4, 2012 4:01pm

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9/17/2012

Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita, III announced that 40 year old Christopher Smith of 13512 North Road, Alden, New York, pleaded guilty, as charged, to Grand Larceny in the Third Degree in connection with an unemployment insurance fraud scam. The guilty plea occurred before Supreme Court Justice M. William Boller and is the highest charge for which the defendant could have been convicted had he gone to trial. 

Smith admitted to falsely reporting that he was unemployed when he was, in fact, employed at a construction company. Smith further admitted to stealing $6,821 by illegally collecting unemployment benefits through the New York State Department of Labor between March 2, 2009 and February 7, 2012. Smith was previously convicted of Attempted Forgery in the Second Degree, and as such, is a second felony offender. Justice Boller sentenced Smith to an indeterminate term having a minimum of three years and a maximum of six years.