Branford Man Illegally Collects $33K in Unemployment Benefits: PD

BRANFORD, CT — A Branford man was arrested today and charged with fraudulently collecting more than $33,000 in Unemployment Compensation benefits, officials said in a news release.

John M. Testa, 51, of Bradley Street, was arrested by Inspectors from the Unemployment Compensation Fraud Unit in the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney and charged with one count each of Larceny in the First Degree by Defrauding a Public Community and Unemployment Compensation Fraud.

The arrest is the result of an investigation into a complaint by the Connecticut Department of Labor, which administers the Unemployment Compensation program.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Testa under-reported the wages he earned working at an Old Saybrook supermarket, allowing him to fraudulently collect approximately $33,101 in unemployment benefits from October 2009 through July 2013, officials said in a statement.

Testa was released on a $10,000 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear in New Britain Superior Court, on May 2, 2018.