Man charged with theft of benefits for unemployment
Posted on Wednesday, July 16, 2008
A Washington County man faces a felony arrest warrant for allegedly receiving unemployment benefits last year to which he was not entitled.
Jeffrey Dearing, 43, was charged on July 14 with theft of public benefits. He is accused of obtaining unemployment benefits totaling more than $ 4, 500 by falsely stating that he had received wages of only $ 3, 781 during several weeks from January through June in 2007.
During this same time period, Dearing received wages of $ 11, 123 from Fayette Tree and Trench of Fayetteville, according to the affidavit.
An arrest warrant shows his last known address as 12775 Bill Seller Road in Fayetteville. The county assessor's records show that he has received his mail for the past several years at 624 Henryetta in Springdale.
Only a few cases of this type are filed each year in Washington County, said John Threet, 4 th Judicial District prosecuting attorney.
In 2007, a total of $ 5. 64 million in overpayments was established statewide and these led to 102 criminal judgments, according to Patricia Willbritton, an investigator for the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services.
She said it is common to pursue prosecution in cases where facts have been misrepresented or fraud has been determined.
Before suspects are prosecuted, they have an oppor tunity to appeal a determination of overpayment, she explained. They also get the chance to repay an overpayment before charges are filed.
One way the state catches people who file fraudulent claims is through state and federal databases for new workers, according to Willbritton.
Theft of public benefits is a class B felony, which carries a typical sentence of five to 20 years.
Most offenders are required to pay restitution, complete community service and be placed on probation, but some have served prison time, she said.
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