State prosecutors charged an Ansonia resident with attempted larceny Monday (July 14) after they said he tried to use a dead man’s Social Security number to collect unemployment benefits.
Jose Mendoza, 34, of Rutland Street, faces charges of attempted second-degree larceny by defrauding a public community, attempted unemployment compensation fraud, and third-degree identity theft.
Mendoza was arraigned Monday at Superior Court in New Britain, where a judge set bond at $5,000 and continued the case to Aug. 19.
According to a prepared statement from the Chief State’s Attorney’s Office, Mendoza attempted to collect unemployment benefits in June using the Social Security number of a Torrington man who died in 2002 at the age of 83.
“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,” the statement said.
Mendoza was arrested by Inspectors from the Unemployment Compensation Fraud Unit.
If convicted on the charges, Mendoza would face up to 16 years behind bars and fines up to $17,000.
“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 Connecticut Department of Labor to investigate and prosecute alleged fraud in the unemployment compensation program,” the Chief State’s Attorney’s statement said. “It is financed with funds provided by the U.S. Department of Labor. The unit is grateful for the assistance it received in this case from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, and the Ansonia Police Department.”