Unemployment Fraud

Defense of Unemployment Fraud

In these difficult economic times, millions of people across the country have been terminated from their jobs after devoting years of service to their employers. In many cases, it can be challenging if not impossible to make ends meet on unemployment compensation alone.

A Sign of the Times

Faced with the need to pay their bills and feed their families, more and more people are committing unemployment compensation fraud. They may take off-the-books jobs, working for a friend on a cash basis, or fail to report other sources of income.

Raymond D. Sprowls, attorney at law, defends people throughout New York's Hudson Valley who are accused of unemployment fraud. His background as a former New York City prosecutor gives him insight that can be extremely beneficial to his clients. He understands that the government and the accused view the same actions very differently. That knowledge allows him to educate his clients about the significant risks they are facing and take action to protect them.

Differing Perspectives

Frequently, people charged with unemployment fraud have never been accused of anything more serious than speeding or overtime parking. They do not understand how the criminal justice system works. They may underestimate the seriousness of the offense they are facing. These misconceptions can leave them extremely vulnerable to police and prosecutors who aggressively pursue these cases.

While individuals see unemployment fraud as a small-scale act of an individual against the state, the government sees the individual as part of a large-scale fraud that costs the state millions of dollars. When they have the opportunity to pursue a case, they do so with the full force and resources of the government in order to make an example of you.

Negotiating a Reduction in Charges

Unemployment fraud cases typically involve multiple charges, including telephone fraud, documentary fraud (filing false documents), mail fraud and more. Although the individual may have only defrauded the government of $3000, he or she may be facing indictment on 20 felony charges.

Mr. Sprowls works to negotiate a disposition that is less serious than the initial charges. To schedule a consultation about your case, please contact criminal defense lawyer Raymond D. Sprowls. He represents clients throughout New York's Hudson Valley.

Recent Case Results

November, 2009:
Two men were arrested in a car after police claimed they had seen the driver (Mr. Sprowls’ client) throw a quantity of cocaine out the window and on to a city street. At a pre-trial suppression hearing, Mr. Sprowls successfully argued to the judge that the evidence should be suppressed. Once the evidence was suppressed, the D.A. had no choice but to dismiss all criminal charges. The defendant ended up pleading guilty to a speeding ticket!
October, 2009:
A few months after Mr. Sprowls’ client was arrested during the execution of a search warrant, Mr. Sprowls got the felony charges dismissed. The defendant had been found inside an apartment with prescription pills, marijuana, cocaine, and drug paraphernalia in the room next to where the defendant was standing. Mr. Sprowls used his extensive knowledge of search and seizure law and the facts of the case to convince the D.A. that the case could not be proven against his client and persuaded the prosecutor to dismiss the charges.
August, 2009:
The police arrested two boys and charged them with felony Criminal Mischief, claiming the boys had caused damage in excess of $500.00 to a local municipal park. The boys denied the charges. The end result? Mr. Sprowls got the case dismissed in exchange for the boys’ promise each pay only $100.00. The moral of the story? Never accept the word of the police as truth -- they lie and exaggerate just as much as anyone else.
August, 2008
Two men were arrested and charged with Burglary in the Third Degree, a Class D felony. Mr. Sprowls' client had just finished serving 22 years in state prison and was on parole.

Within five weeks of the defendant's arraignment, Mr. Sprowls got the case dismissed and the defendant is a free man.
March, 2008:
A high school-aged boy and four of his friends were arrested and charged with multiple felonies, including Burglary in the First Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree. If convicted of the Burglary Charge as an adult, Mr. Sprowls’ client could have been sentenced to anywhere between 5 and 25 years in state prison. In October, 2008, after extensive investigation and interviews with witnesses, Mr. Sprowls got the case dismissed and his client’s bright future remained intact.
February, 2008
Five people were arrested in a commercial establishment during the execution of a search warrant. The store was a "weed spot" and had been selling to a steady stream of customers for months.

Mr. Sprowls' client was in the common area of the store when the police entered and no marijuana was found on his person.

Within a month of his arrest, Mr. Sprowls got the case against his client dismissed.
December, 2007
Two men were arrested in the City of Newburgh and charged with multiple Class D Felonies, including Grand Larceny in the Third Degree and Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Third Degree. Mr. Sprowls' client had a lengthy criminal record going back over thirty years with a prior felony conviction. The D.A. was out for blood and insisted that the two men would go to state prison for these crimes.

Of course, Mr. Sprowls could represent only one of the defendants. After investigating the case and researching the applicable law, Mr. Sprowls advised his client to refuse all plea offers and to remain ready for trial.

The co-defendant was subsequently indicted and his case was transferred to County Court where he is looking at a state prison sentence.

Mr. Sprowls' client is now a free man. Because Mr. Sprowls knew the law and the facts of the case, all of the charges were dismissed and the defendant is home with his family.