Man who Held Job in Cranston and Collected Unemployment is Convicted

A 41-year-old Providence man who was arrested after he allegedly collected $27,000 in unemployment benefits while working for a Cranston business pleaded no contest to two charges of felony obtaining money under false pretenses in Providence County Superior Court.

Esteban Miliano, of 107 Henrietta St., entered his plea before Superior Court Justice Kristin E. Rodgers on Wednesday and was sentenced to a seven-year suspended prison sentence with probation. He was also ordered to pay $27,681 in restitution.

According to court records, Miliano collected unemployment for a total of three years in two separate periods: one between Feb. 28 of 2009 and Feb. 12 of 2011, the other between Dec. 23 of 2013 and Sept. 22 of 2014.

During those times, Miliano was working for Sitecon Corporation in Cranston, an environmental remediation and demolition contractor, and failed to report his earnings when he dialed in to the state unemployment system each week to collect another check.

“My Office, along with our partners at the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, continue to uncover, investigate, and prosecute individuals who defraud our unemployment benefits system,” said Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin. “Our efforts have paid off, with the Courts ordering hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution returned to the State. In addition, the increased attention on those who are prosecuted serves as a strong deterrent to anyone thinking they might be able to get away with collecting benefits while gainfully employed.”

The investigation was initiated by RIDLT fraud investigators and then referred to the Rhode Island State Police. The investigation was led by Detective Michael Douglas of the Rhode Island State Police Auto Theft and Insurance Fraud Unit. Special Assistant Attorney General Carole McLaughlin prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.

Photo: Patch file photo by Mark Schieldrop