New HampshireDepartment of JusticeOffice of the Attorney General

News Release

For Immediate Release
April 4, 2016

Contact:
Richard Lavers, Deputy Commissioner
Department of Employment Security
(603) 228-4064

Heather A. Cherniske, Attorney
(603) 271-3671

State v. Michelle Thurston

Department of Employment Security Commissioner George Copadis and Attorney General Joseph A. Foster announce that Michelle Thurston of Littleton, New Hampshire pleaded guilty and was sentenced on March 31, 2016 on two counts of class B felony perjury and one count of class B felony falsifying physical evidence. Ms. Thurston applied for and received unemployment compensation benefits indicating that she was unemployed when, in fact, she was employed. The charges stem from Ms. Thurston's lies under oath during a Department of Employment Security Appeal Tribunal Hearing and her submission of false bank records as evidence.

On the perjury charges, Ms. Thurston was sentenced to 12 months in the House of Corrections, with six months suspended. On the falsifying evidence charge, she was sentenced to one to three years in the New Hampshire State Prison all suspended for three years, consecutive to the perjury charges. The suspended portion of the sentences are suspended conditioned upon good behavior and restitution to the Department of Employment Security.

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 fund.

New Hampshire Department of Justice
1 Granite Place South | Concord, NH | 03301
Telephone: 603-271-3658