United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

FATHER AND DAUGHTER CHARGED WITH ILLEGALLY RECEIVING MORE THAN $300,000 IN UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS

Nora R. Dannehy, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury sitting in Hartford has returned an Indictment charging MONROE RALPH HYMANS, 86, of Summerville, South Carolina, and his daughter JULIE HYMANS, 39, of Bridgeport, with six counts of mail fraud stemming from an alleged scheme through which they fraudulently received more than $300,000 in unemployment benefits.  The indictment was returned on March 30 and was unsealed yesterday upon the arrest of the defendants.

According to the Indictment, the Federal and State Unemployment Insurance System, which is designed to provide benefits to persons who are out of work due to no fault of their own, is administered for the federal government by state employment offices.  The U.S. Department of Labor oversees the Unemployment Insurance System and the federal government funds all administrative costs, including salaries and office expenses for the employment offices.  Benefits paid to unemployed workers from the private sector are financed by taxes on employers in the State of Connecticut by the State’s Department of Labor.

The Indictment alleges that, from approximately January 1995 to April 2009, MONROE RALPH HYMANS, who formerly resided in Westport, and JULIE HYMANS defrauded the Connecticut Department of Labor by collecting approximately $317,313 in unemployment benefits to which they were not entitled.  The Indictment further alleges that MONROE RALPH HYMANS used both his real name and the fictitious identities “Ronald Monroe” and “Monroe Hyams” to fraudulently collect benefits.

If convicted, MONROE RALPH HYMANS and JULIE HYMANS face a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000, on each count.

U.S. Attorney Dannehy stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are entitled to a fair trial at which it is the Government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is being investigated by the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and the United States Postal Inspection Service.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul McConnell.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov