City woman accused of unemployment fraud

A Middletown woman was arrested Thursday and charged with fraudulently collecting almost $23,000 in unemployment compensation benefits, according to a release from the Division of Criminal Justice.

Teri C. Bell, 45, of Daddario Road, was arrested by inspectors from the Unemployment Compensation Fraud Unit in the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney and charged with one count each of first-degree larceny by defrauding a public community and unemployment compensation fraud.

The arrest is the result of an investigation into a complaint by the Connecticut Department of Labor. According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Bell under-reported the wages she earned from working to fraudulently collect approximately $22,642 in unemployment benefits from July 2010 through February 2014.

Bell was released on a $10,000 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear in New Britain Superior Court on Feb. 14. The charges are merely accusations and she is presumed innocent unless and until she is found guilty, the release says.

First-degree larceny by defrauding a public community is a Class B felony punishable by not less than one year nor more than 20 years in prison and/or up to a $15,000 fine. Unemployment compensation fraud in excess of $500 is a Class D felony punishable by not less than one year nor more than five years in prison, up to a $5,000 fine or both.

The case is being prosecuted by the Unemployment Compensation Fraud Unit and financed with funds provided by the U.S. Department of Labor.