Department of Employment Security Commissioner George Copadis and Attorney General Joseph A. Foster announce that Denise Bergeron of Pelham, New Hampshire, was sentenced on Friday to two counts of class A felony unemployment compensation fraud. Between June 20, 2009 and May 14, 2011, Ms. Bergeron fraudulently filed for 73 weeks of unemployment compensation benefits in that she knowingly failed to report her work and earnings, as well as her act of voluntarily quitting employment in order to obtain or increase her unemployment compensation benefits. As a result of her fraudulent reporting, Ms. Bergeron received an additional $18,592.00 in unemployment benefits.

Ms. Bergeron was sentenced to one to two years in the New Hampshire State Prison all suspended for five years conditioned on good behavior; restitution and penalty; meaningful participation in any counseling, treatment and educational programs as directed by the correctional authority or probation; a tour of the New Hampshire State Prison; one hundred hours of community service; disqualification from the receipt of benefits for 52 weeks; and the provision and use of her likeness in the Department of Employment Security Benefits Rights Interview discussing the ramifications of committing unemployment fraud. Ms. Bergeron was sentenced to two years of probation, one of which is to be served through administrative home confinement, and to repay all of the benefits received during the time period charged. By law, after being convicted of unemployment fraud, all of the benefits she received—whether fraudulently or legitimately—are deemed overpaid As a result, Ms. Bergeron was order to pay $20,830.00, plus a 20% penalty of $4,166.00.

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.