A Derby man was charged Tuesday with fraudulently collecting nearly $7,000 in unemployment benefits while he had a job as a truck driver.
Samuel M. Verzi III, 40, faces charges of first-degree larceny by defrauding a public community and unemployment compensation fraud.
Verzi was released on a $10,000 nonsurety bond and is scheduled to appear at Superior Court in New Britain Dec. 22.
In a prepared statement from the Chief State’s Attorney’s office, prosecutors said Verzi “fraudulently collected approximately $6,679 in unemployment benefits from November 2013 through March 2014 when, in fact, he was working and earning wages as a truck driver.”
The case was investigated by the office’s Unemployment Compensation Fraud Unit following a complaint by the Connecticut Department of Labor.
The charges are punishable by up to 25 years in prison and $20,000 in fines.
