Fall River man one of five charged with unemployment fraud

Boston — Attorney General Maura Healey announced today that five individuals have been charged with fraudulently collecting a combined total of more than $169,000 in state unemployment benefits in separate but similar illegal schemes.

These cases are the result of investigations referred to the Attorney General’s Office by the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development’s Department of Unemployment Assistance (EOLWD\DUA).

“It is critical that we protect our state’s unemployment benefits for those who need them,” said AG Healey. “We will continue to investigate reports of unemployment fraud and take action to return fraudulently obtained money to the state.”

A Suffolk County Grand Jury returned indictments against the following individuals:

Jose Pacheco, 42, of Fall River, was indicted on the charges of Unemployment Fraud (6 counts) and Larceny Over $250 (3 counts) on December 10.

The AG’s Office alleges that Pacheco worked during 79 weeks of three unemployment claim periods from January 2015 until October 2017. The AG’s office alleges that Pacheco fraudulently collected more than $40,000 in unemployment benefits from the DUA during this timeframe.

Pacheco will be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court on Wednesday, January 16.

Albert Indrisano, 40, of Woburn, was indicted on charges of Unemployment Fraud (eight counts) and Larceny Over $1,200 (four counts) on November 29. The AG’s office alleges that Indrisano worked during 57 different weeks of four different unemployment claim periods between March 2013 and January 2017. During that time, he allegedly fraudulently collected over $42,000. He will be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court on January 3.

Dereke Taylor, 51, of Boston, was indicted on charges of Unemployment Fraud (four counts) and Larceny Over $1,200 (two counts) on November 29.Investigators allege that Taylor worked during 36 different weeks of two different unemployment claim periods between January 2016 and May 2017. Investigators allege that during this period, he fraudulently collected over $26,000. He will be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court on January 3.

Adolfo Hernandez, 31, of Johnston, Rhode Island, was indicted on charges of Unemployment Fraud (six counts) and Larceny Over $1,200 (three counts) on December 20.The AG’s Office alleges that Hernandez worked during 56 different weeks of three different unemployment claim periods between November of 2013 and March 2016. During that time, the AG’s office alleges that he fraudulently collected over $34,000. He will be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court on January 17.

Edmund Marcheterre, 48, of Marlborough, was indicted on the charges of Unemployment Fraud (6 counts) and Larceny Over $250 (3 counts) on December 20. Authorities allege that Marcheterre underreported wages during 96 weeks of three unemployment claim periods from December 2014 to July 2017. Marcheterre allegedly collected more than $27,000 in unemployment benefits from the DUA during this timeframe. He will be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court on January 9.

These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Geoff Wood, Matthew Bailey, and Gabriel Thornton and investigated by Senior Criminal Investigator Philip Mantyla and Investigator Michael Azevedo, both of the AG’s Insurance and Unemployment Fraud Unit.