Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that Erie County recovered the highest in total restitution in New York State by prosecuting Unemployment Insurance Benefits fraud in 2017.

Unemployment fraud is the most prevalent crime against state revenue. The New York State Department of Labor’s Office of Special Investigations is responsible for monitoring and investigating reports of fraud. Once suspected fraud is detected, the cases are turned over to local authorities. The NYS Department of Labor has partnered with District Attorney’s Offices throughout New York State to prosecute these offenders.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced that the Erie County District Attorney’s Office’s Special Investigations and Prosecutions (SIP) Bureau returned $477,162.00 in total restitution from unemployment fraud cases in 2017.

In 2016, the SIP Bureau recovered $363,195.83 in illegally obtained unemployment money.

“I am proud to have our office partner with the Department of Labor in investigating these cases. When you cheat the state, you cheat every law-abiding taxpayer in New York,” says DA Flynn.

DA Flynn commends the NYS Department of Labor for their investigative work and staff of the DA’s Special Investigations and Prosecutions (SIP) Bureau for successfully prosecuting these cases.

Data from Governor Cuomo’s Office