Hamden Man Charged with Unemployment Fraud

A Hamden man has been arrested and charged with fraudulently collecting almost $11,000 in Unemployment Compensation benefits.

Timothy Hagans, 53, of 179 High Top Circle, was charged Thursday with one count each of first-degree larceny by defrauding a public community and unemployment compensation fraud.

The arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by the Unemployment Compensation Fraud Unit in the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney following a complaint by the Connecticut Department of Labor, according to Mark A. Dupuis, spokesman of the state Division of Criminal Justice.

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According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Hagans fraudulently collected approximately $10,959 in unemployment benefits from June 2011 through December 2012. He was employed during that time period and grossly under-reported his wages in order to collect the benefits, according to Dupuis.

Hagans was released on a $10,000 non-surety bond and his next court date is scheduled for Aug. 25 in New Britain Superior Court.

Larceny in the First Degree by Defrauding a Public Community is a Class B felony punishable by not less than one year nor more than 20 years in prison and/or up to a $15,000 fine. Unemployment Compensation Fraud in excess of $500 is a Class D felony punishable by not less than 1 year nor more than 5 years in prison and/or up to a $5,000 fine.

The case is being prosecuted by the Unemployment Compensation Fraud Unit, which was established under a partnership between the Division of Criminal Justice and the Department of Labor to investigate and prosecute alleged fraud in the unemployment compensation program. It is financed with funds provided by the U.S. Department of Labor.