Fifth Defendant Sentenced In Unemployment Insurance Fraud Cases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton

www.usdoj.gov/usao/inn/ CELL: (219) 314-9993

mary.hatton@usdoj.gov

South Bend, Indiana — United States Attorney David Capp announced today that since May 2013, as a result of an investigation conducted by the United States Department of Labor-Office of the Inspector General and the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana has prosecuted and convicted five (5) individuals who fraudulently collected government funds in the form of unemployment insurance benefit payments from the State of Indiana.Assistant United States Attorney Barbara Brook handled these prosecutions for the United States Attorney’s Office.

Christina Glen, 43, of LaPorte, Indiana, was sentenced today by District Judge Robert Miller, Jr. to two years of probation and $15,210.00 in restitution after pleading guilty to the felony offense of theft of government funds.

According to documents filed in this case, Glen and four (4) other individuals fraudulently collected government funds in the form of unemployment insurance benefit payments from the State of Indiana.These individuals worked for the same company in Michigan City, Indiana and, while they received wages, fraudulently applied for and received these benefit payments to which they were not entitled. The total amount of restitution to be paid to the State of Indiana by each defendant ranged from $15,000 - $25,000, but collectively amounted to $97,523.

Previously convicted in this investigation were:

Keith Galassi, 33, of Michigan City, Indiana was sentenced May 28, 2013 to 2 years of probation and restitution of $15,210 after pleading guilty to theft of government funds.

Deandre Grant, 36, of Michigan City, Indiana was sentenced June 17, 2013 to 3 years of probation with 6 months of home detention and restitution of $19,657 after pleading guilty to theft of government funds.

Terry Smith, 33, of Michigan City, Indiana was sentenced June 21, 2013 to 3 years of probation and restitution of $18,330 after pleading guilty to theft of government funds.

Leon Thomas, 38, of Lynwood, Illinois was sentenced April 4, 2013 to 2 years of imprisonment after pleading guilty to aggravated identity theft.Thomas worked and collected unemployment insurance benefit payments at the same company in Michigan City under a stolen identity.