The Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts referred the case to Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office
Peggy Soto, 41 of Roslindale, was indicted December 1st by a Suffolk County Grand Jury for allegations that she collected more than $50,000 in unemployment benefits while continuing to work and for motor vehicle insurance fraud.
We allege this defendant collected unemployment benefits while she continued to work and engaged in a fraudulent insurance scheme in violation of the law,” AG Coakley said. “The investigation and prosecution of these crimes are important to deter fraud and return these funds to the Commonwealth and protect the integrity of the insurance industry.”
According to authorities, for approximately 72 weeks beginning in May, 2009 through November 2010, Ms. Soto applied for and received unemployment benefits from EOLWD\DUA. After successfully obtaining those benefits, the AG’s Office claims that Ms. Soto then went to work full-time while failing to disclose her employment. As a result, for each of the 72 weeks the Ms. Soto collected her unemployment benefits, she allegedly notified the EOLWD\DUA that she was not working. In reality, however, the AG’s Office says that the results of the investigation show that she was both able and available for work. It is alleged that during her time of unemployment, Soto actually earned more than $56,000 through her employment.
During the grand jury, Ms. Soto was indicted for one count of motor vehicle insurance fraud
In addition to the indictment for 72 counts of unemployment fraud, Ms. Soto was indicted on December 1st for one count of Motor Vehicle Insurance Fraud. According to the AG’s investigation, in October 2009
“…Ms. Soto allegedly engaged in a scheme to make a fraudulent insurance claim following a car accident. According to authorities Soto was allegedly involved in a car accident while operating a vehicle under a canceled insurance policy. Following the accident Soto allegedly reinstated her insurance policy and reported the incident to her insurance company, providing fraudulent information to indicate the time at which the accident occurred so that it would coincide with the reinstated policy. Following an investigation by her insurance provider, the claim was denied.”
Ms. Soto will likely be arraigned in 2015 in Suffolk Superior Court and Norfolk Superior Court.
