3 Town Employees Accused Of Triple-Dipping, Face Termination

EAST HAVEN, CT — Three East Haven employees accused of collecting state and federal unemployment benefits during the coronavirus shutdown while also being paid by the town now face the prospect of losing their jobs.

For several weeks, Loribeth Rodriguez, Zackery Barker and Jamie Maturo received their regular pay, plus state unemployment benefits and an additional $600 in weekly federal stimulus benefits, according to a town investigation.

Patch filed a Freedom of Information Act request and obtained a report on the town's investigation into the matter.

The workers are on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of hearings that are underway. They are members of the Local 1303-119 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Barker is the union's president.

On March 17, as Town Hall was shuttered, the town told employees they may be eligible to file for unemployment, according to the report. The following day, on March 18, a new email went out stating that the town decided to pay all its out-of-work staff through April 17. Later, that date was pushed to May 1.

Maturo, Barker and Rodriguez were found to have "knowingly and improperly" collected unemployment while getting paid and "provided dishonest responses" during interviews, according to the 28-page report on the investigation conducted by the New Haven-based law firm Ryan & Ryan.

Maturo’s father, former mayor Joe Maturo, interfered in the investigation, investigators reported.

On May 26, while the investigation was in progress, Maturo "approached HR Director, Michelle Benivegna, and Mayor Carfora while they were having lunch at a public place in Town and talked to them in an apparent attempt to influence this investigation."

"Mr. Maturo asked Mayor Carfora to help out his daughter, Jamie Maturo, and to 'let her keep her job,'" the report says. "Mr. Maturo also shared intimate details of Ms. Maturo's personal life with Mr. Carfora in an apparent attempt to explain why she should be able to keep her job with the Town.

"The investigator does not make any finding against Ms. Maturo as a result of her father's actions because there is no evidence that she had any knowledge that her father improperly attempted to influence the investigation so that Ms. Maturo would receive more favorable treatment than other Town employees in the same circumstances.

"Mr. Maturo's actions attempting to interfere with this investigation are particularly disturbing given the fact that it involves the improper use of State and Federal monies; specifically, unemployment benefits, which are paid by the Town."

In early April, Barker sent a group text to Town Hall employees who are union members telling them to file for unemployment, the investigation found. Barker has been a clerk for the past two years. Like all other Town Hall employees, Barker got an email saying the town would pay staff through April 17. But he filed for unemployment anyway and, in a group text, encouraged others to do the same, according to the investigation report.

"Mr. Barker made a false statement on his application for unemployment benefits," the report reads. "He was also, due to his April 9 text message, the leader of a conspiracy followed by two others which remained hidden at his request."

Investigators said that Barker did not "exhibit any remorse for his actions, and he never apologized."

In the report, Rodriguez was quoted as saying, "I thought Unemployment would come get me before the Town."

Rodriguez, who is an administrative assistant in the engineering department, has worked in that role for the past three years. According to her Facebook page, she also works for H&R Block as a tax consultant.

She filed for unemployment and received close to $4,000. She told investigators she canceled her claim May 4, but records show she did that May 8, the day she was placed on administrative leave.

"Ms. Rodriguez's cavalier attitude toward her improper collection of a Town paycheck and unemployment benefits was displayed on May 8; the day she was placed on Administrative Leave with pay," the report reads. "After she was notified by Ms. Benivegna that she was being placed on leave, Ms. Rodriguez said: 'I guess I'll stay home and get paid.'"

Investigators found that she "participated in a conspiracy with Mr. Barker."

"Per his April 9 text message, she filed for unemployment benefits even though she knew she was being paid by the Town. In addition, she kept silent regarding her receipt of unemployment monies while being paid by the Town per Mr. Barker's April 9 text message."

Investigators said she "... did not seize the opportunity to express remorse or apologize for her wrongdoing."

Maturo has worked for the town for 15 years as a public works administrative assistant. Like Barker and Rodriguez, Maturo filed for unemployment while being paid by the town, the report found. Investigators said that during an interview, she gave a number of statements that were "not credible." She told investigators that she completed and filed the unemployment application but "did not intend to file a claim for benefits."

"For the same reasons as discussed with regard to Ms. Rodriguez's claim, Ms. Maturo's assertion in this regard is not believable," the report reads. "Specifically, the Department of Labor Unemployment website makes clear that, by submitting the form, the applicant is making a claim for benefits."

And she received the payments, according to the report. She told investigators she thought the debit card she received, which reads Connecticut Department of Labor, was a federal stimulus card and used it. When she had the opportunity to show remorse, Maturo said, "I apologize for not being smart," according to the report.

All three received at minimum in excess of $3,000 for the four weeks they were getting state and federal benefits in addition to their regular pay, the report found.

Two hearings were held Saturday and the third is being held Monday. A determination on the employees' status is expected Wednesday.

Town Attorney Michael Luzzi told Patch that Mayor Joe Carfora is not presiding over the hearings.

"Due to the seriousness of the issues presented in this investigation, as well as the possible claims of partisanship regarding a former Mayor," the hearing officer is lawyer Jeffrey Donofrio, who also serves as North Haven’s Town Attorney.

Read the full investigation report as requested by Patch through the Freedom of Information Act.

East Haven Employees Invest... by Ellyn Santiago on Scribd

>