TRENTON
– Vaughn L. McKoy, Director, Division
of Criminal Justice, announced that two
New Jersey men have been charged with
filing false unemployment insurance claims
which resulted in the theft of more than
$21,100 from the state unemployment insurance
program. The investigation was conducted
by the Division of Criminal Justice -
Financial Crimes Bureau.
According to Director McKoy, the Financial
Crimes Bureau obtained State Grand Jury
indictments charging Carl Wheeler, 57,
5th Ave., Asbury Park, Monmouth County
and Theodore Law, 57, Lincoln Ave., Vineland,
Cumberland County, with two counts of
theft by deception (both 3rd degree) and
one count of unsworn falsification to
authorities (4th degree). If convicted
on all three counts, the defendants face
up to 111/2 years in state prison and
a fine of up to $40,000.
The State Grand Jury indictment alleges
that Wheeler filed two separate claims
for Unemployment Insurance benefits. Wheeler
filed the first claim in May, 1998, collecting
on the claim until November of that year.
An investigation by the Division of Criminal
Justice - Financial Crimes Bureau revealed
that between August and October, 1998,
Wheeler was employed as a laborer by Williams
Construction Services in Morganville,
Monmouth County. The indictment charges
that Wheeler filed a second claim in June,
1999 and collected unemployment benefits
until December, 1999. The indictment alleges
that between July and August, 1999, Wheeler
was employed by Patock Construction in
Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, again as
a laborer. According to the indictment,
Wheeler collected a total of $11,268 in
unemployment monies to which he was not
entitled.
A separate State Grand Jury indictment
charged that Law filed for Unemployment
Insurance benefits in April, 1998, collecting
benefits until November of that year.
An investigation by the Division of Criminal
Justice - Major Financial Crimes Bureau
determined that Law worked as a laborer
during April and again from June through
November, 1998, at Palermo Masonry in
Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic County.
Law filed a second claim for Unemployment
Insurance benefits in November, 1999,
and collected benefits until May, 2000,
again while employed at Palermo Masonry.
The indictment charges that Law collected
$9,894 in Unemployment Insurance benefit
monies to which he was not entitled.
The Division of Criminal Justice-Major
Financial Crimes Bureau, Labor Prosecutions
Unit, investigated both cases in coordination
with the New Jersey Department of Labor,
Bureau of Benefits Payment Control. Deputy
Attorney General Candy Cure presented
the cases to the State Grand Jury. State
Investigator Brian Elkin spearheaded both
investigations.
An indictment is an accusation. The defendants
are presumed innocent unless or until
proven guilty in a court of law.
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