Concord, NH – Attorney General John M. Formella and Department of Employment Security Commissioner George N. Copadis announce that Angel Marcelino of Salem, New Hampshire has pled guilty and was sentenced as part of a capped plea in Rockingham County Superior Court on one count of unemployment compensation fraud and one count of attempted unemployment compensation fraud, both class A felonies.

Mr. Marcelino was convicted of knowingly failing to disclose his employment and earnings to the Department of Employment Security in order to obtain or increase his unemployment compensation benefits; in that on 52 occasions he 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, between April 27, 2020 and April 24, 2021 when he was in fact working and earning income from his employer. As a result of providing false information, Mr. Marcelino received $36,904.00 in unemployment compensation benefits to which he was not entitled. Mr. Marcelino was also convicted of attempting to receive additional unemployment compensation benefits to which he was not entitled, between April 25, 2021 and September 25, 2021, by continuing to file weekly continued claims forms in which he failed to accurately report his wages and hours.

As part of his guilty plea, Mr. Marcelino was sentenced to 12 months at the House of Corrections with 21 days stand committed and the remainder suspended for 5 years, conditioned on good behavior, payment of restitution and penalties totaling $44,284.80, and disqualification from receiving unemployment 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 and prosecutes both criminal and civil unemployment compensation fraud with the goal of protecting New Hampshire’s unemployment compensation trust fund. To report possible unemployment fraud, call 1-800-852-3400 or use the online form at https://business.nh.gov/NCharge/NHES/default.asp?form_name=InsuranceFraud.