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INDIANAPOLIS (April 29, 2016) – Greenwood resident Melinda E. Hignite, 50, pled guilty in Marion County Criminal Court Three to unemployment insurance fraud, a Class D Felony. Through the use of agency records, an Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) employee began an investigation and determined that Hignite was working and receiving wages while claiming unemployment insurance benefits.
Hignite was ordered to repay $42,475 in restitution for the benefits she fraudulently collected. She was sentenced to eight years of probation.
DWD receives wage reports and new hire data from Hoosier employers documenting who is employed and receiving compensation. The agency uses this information to ensure people are not collecting unemployment insurance benefits while working.
You can also help combat unemployment insurance fraud and abuse by reporting it online at www.in.gov/dwd/fraud. Your efforts will help ensure tax dollars are spent wisely and unemployment insurance benefits are only paid to people who are eligible to receive them. You do not need to provide your name or any other identifying information in order to file a complaint in regards to unemployment insurance fraud.
