A woman from Colorado is facing several felony charges for allegations that she fraudulently accepted unemployment benefits while earning unreported money from jobs at the same time.
36-year-old Meadoe R. Croker began a claim for unemployment benefits beginning in January 2015 and started receiving checks shortly thereafter. She additionally renewed her claims in January 2016 and 2017.
Random audits are performed through the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment and a company in Grand Junction that Croker allegedly worked for was chosen to have their accounts examined. It was discovered that Croker was purportedly an employee of the business while she was still accepting her unemployment checks, and an investigation was opened.
It was discovered that Croker was allegedly also employed at an equipment rental company while working at the Grand Junction business, and she reportedly earned $7,717 within the six-month period beginning in January 2017, though her unemployment filings reflected that she recorded no income from outside sources.
While performing a more thorough search into the time period that Croker had been receiving unemployment benefits it was revealed that she allegedly earned $4,599 between January and April 2016 through employment wages, but she claimed that she did not make any money when she filled out her claim form. She was also said to have obtained over $5,600 in a five-month period beginning in January 2015, but she had claimed only $640 in pay.
An investigator spoke with Croker about what the research into her financial history was showing and she allegedly disclosed that she had filed the claims during the slow season at work as it typically took a couple of months before she would begin receiving her benefits.
Croker accepted close to $10,000 in unemployment benefits over the three-year span of time, and she was taken into custody on felony charges of theft and computer crimes, and additionally charged with one count of making a false statement. She was released from custody after paying her ordered bond.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a theft crime, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.