Three Connecticut residents have been charged with stealing more than $80,000 in COVID-19-related unemployment assistance, state officials said Monday.
Otis D. Paramore, 43, and Christine DeBiase, 39, both of Branford, and Gloria DeBiase, 75, of Stratford, took advantage of an overwhelmed system meant to help people who had lost jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic, state authorities said.
The arrests last week followed an investigation by the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney of a complaint to the state Department of Labor. Paramore and Christina DeBiase collected 68,541 in unemployment benefits by filing false claims under their own names and the names of Paramore’s deceased father and deceased grandparents, authorities said. Paramore and Christina DeBiase also are accused of assisting Gloria DeBiase in filing false unemployment claims totaling $11,268. In addition, Christina DeBiase defrauded the Connecticut Department of Labor out of a weekly dependent allowance totaling $600, officials said. Officials did not describe the relatiionship between the women.
Paramore and Christina DeBiase are each charged with multiple counts of unemployment fraud, identity theft and first-degree larceny. Gloria DeBiase is charged with unemployment fraud and first-degree larceny. Released on a promise to appear, Paramore is scheduled to appear in New Britain Superior Court on May 24, 2022. Both Christina and Gloria DeBiase were released on promises to appear in court on Thursday.
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