3 charged with theft of COVID-19 money

ROCKY HILL — Three Connecticut residents have been charged with stealing more than $80,000 in COVID-related unemployment assistance, according to the Chief State’s Attorney’s Office.

Otis D. Paramore, 43, and Christina DeBiase, 39, of Branford were arrested May 10, as was Gloria DeBiase, 75, of Stratford. They were charged with first-degree larceny and unemployment fraud. Paramore and Christina DeBiase also were charged with identity theft, a news release from the office says.

The office’s Statewide Prosecution Bureau began investigating the three after the state Department of Labor complained about what appeared to be a theft, the release says.

According to arrest warrant affidavits, Paramore and Christina DeBiase fraudulently collected approximately $68,541 in unemployment benefits by filing false claims under their own names and the names of Paramore’s dead father and grandparents. Paramore and Christina DeBiase also are accused of helping Gloria DeBiase fill out false unemployment claims totaling $11,268, the warrants say.

In addition, Christina DeBiase defrauded the Connecticut Department of Labor out of a weekly dependent allowance totaling $600, according to the warrants.

“These arrests are the result of significant collaborative efforts by our two agencies,” said Kevin D. Lawlor, deputy chief state’s attorney of operations. “By working together, both agencies are beginning to hold accountable those who allegedly took advantage of an unemployment benefit system that was overwhelmed by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Labor Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo said, “The federal pandemic unemployment programs were critical for unemployed workers, but in labor agencies across the country, these programs also triggered a significant increase in criminal activity like identity theft and false claims. This partnership with law enforcement is key to ensuring those who tried to defraud the system are held accountable for their actions and funding is returned to the public coffers.”

Paramore and Christina DeBiase were each charged with 11 counts of unemployment fraud; four counts of first-degree identity theft; five counts of third-degree identity theft and first-degree larceny, the news release said.

Gloria DeBiase was charged with unemployment fraud and first-degree larceny, the agency said.

Paramore was released on a promise to appear in Superior Court in New Britain May 24. Both Christina and Gloria DeBiase were released on promises to appear in the same court May 19.

In March 2020, in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The CARES Act created multiple temporary federal unemployment insurance programs that were administered by the Connecticut Department of Labor. Since March 2020, the labor agency has received more than 1.5 million applications.