A Youngstown man was found guilty on March 17 of Unemployment Compensation falsification the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services announced. Charges had been filed by ODJFS, which administers the Unemployment Compensation program in Ohio.

An investigation by ODJFS revealed Randy A. Deiley, 43, filed claims for Unemployment Compensation while he was employed at Wolford's Refuse and Recycling and intentionally failed to report the income while collecting benefits. The court found that Deiley was employed when he received $6,239 for 17 weeks in April, 2001 through August, 2001.

Youngstown Municipal Court Judge Robert Milich sentenced Deiley to 180 days and fined him $500 plus court costs of $60. The judge then suspended the 180-day sentence and the fine of $500 on the condition Deiley makes full restitution to the state of Ohio within three years.

Unemployment Compensation is payable to workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own and meet other eligibility criteria. Wages earned while drawing Unemployment Compensation must be reported by claimants so that benefits can be reduced or disallowed during any week of employment.

ODJFS identified Deiley through a routine computer cross-match of employer payroll records with those of Unemployment Compensation benefit recipients to detect the overpayments. In 2002, ODJFS identified $11.3 million in fraudulent overpayments. Criminal convictions were obtained in more than 230 of the most flagrant cases in 2002. ODJFS aggressively pursues repayment of fraud cases and imposes other administrative penalties.

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For more information contact ODJFS Communications, 614-466-6650.