Attorney General John M. Formella and Department of Employment Security Commissioner George Copadis announce that Angel Marcelino of, or formerly of, Salem, New Hampshire was indicted on March 10, 2023, in Rockingham County Superior Court, on one count of unemployment compensation fraud, a class A felony, and one count of attempted unemployment compensation fraud, a class A felony.
As to the first charge, the State alleges that Mr. Marcelino knowingly failed to disclose his employment and earnings to the Department of Employment Security to obtain or increase his unemployment compensation benefits. As a result, Mr. Marcelino received 52 weeks of unemployment benefits totaling $36,904.00, including enhanced federal benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic, to which he was not entitled.
As to the second charge, the State alleges that Mr. Marcelino continued to knowingly fail to disclose his full-time employment and earnings to the Department of Employment Security to obtain unemployment compensation benefits. But for the intervention of the Department, in stopping his benefit payments due to systemic review measures, Mr. Marceline would have received an additional $11,794.00 in unemployment compensation benefits, including enhanced federal benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic, to which he was not entitled.
The charges and allegations set forth in the indictment are merely accusations, and Mr. Marcelino is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. An arraignment is scheduled in Rockingham County Superior Court on April 21, 2023.
The Department of Employment Security provides unemployment compensation benefits to eligible claimants who are unemployed through no fault of their own. The Department investigates and prosecutes both criminal and civil unemployment compensation fraud with the goal of protecting New Hampshire’s unemployment compensation trust fund. To report possible unemployment fraud, call 1-800-852-3400, or use the online form at https://business.nh.gov/NCharge/NHES/default.asp?form_name=InsuranceFraud.
