Concord, NH – Attorney General John M. Formella and Department of Employment Security Commissioner George N. Copadis announce that Luis J. Avendano of Manchester, New Hampshire, has pleaded guilty and was sentenced in Hillsborough County Superior Court – Northern District, on two counts of unemployment compensation fraud, both class A felonies.

Mr. Avendano was convicted for knowingly failing to disclose a material fact to the Department of Employment Security in order to obtain or increase his unemployment compensation benefits. Specifically, on 68 occasions over five benefit years, Mr. Avendano filed weekly continued claims forms and answered "no" when asked if he had worked or earned income the prior week and/or failed to accurately report his wages and hours worked, when he was in fact working and earning income from multiple employers. As a result of providing false information, Mr. Avendano received $21,647 in unemployment compensation benefits to which he was not entitled.

Mr. Avendano was sentenced to 12 months in the House of Corrections, with all except 30 days suspended for a period of 6 years, as well as a concurrent sentence of 1–2 years in the New Hampshire State Prison, all suspended for a period of 5 years. Mr. Avendano's suspended sentences are conditioned upon his good behavior and the payment of restitution and penalties totaling $32,696.40. He is also disqualified from receiving unemployment compensation benefits for 52 weeks.

The Department of Employment Security provides unemployment compensation benefits to eligible claimants who are unemployed through no fault of their own. The Department investigates both criminal and civil unemployment compensation fraud with the goal of protecting New Hampshire's unemployment compensation trust fund. To report possible unemployment fraud, please call 1-800-852-3400, or use the online form at: https://business.nh.gov/NCharge/NHES/default.asp?form_name=InsuranceFraud.