Fairfield Woman Accused Of $20,000 Unemployment Compensation Scam

FAIRFIELD, CT — A 42-year-old Fairfield woman is facing a host of fraud charges after she was arrested Friday and accused of bilking the state Department of Labor out of nearly $20,000 in unemployment compensation, announced the Chief State's Attorney's Office.

Cami DeMace was charged with committing "11 crimes involving larceny, unemployment compensation fraud, and identity theft," authorities said.

Those charges are:

• Larceny in the First Degree by Defrauding a Public Community (2 counts),
• Unemployment Compensation Fraud (3 counts)
• Identity Theft in the Third Degree (2 counts)
• Attempt to Commit Larceny in the Second Degree
• Conspiracy to Commit Larceny in the First Degree
• Conspiracy to Commit Unemployment Compensation Fraud
• Conspiracy to Commit Identity Theft in the Third Degree

She was charged following a complaint by the Connecticut Department of Labor, which led to an investigation conducted by the Statewide Prosecution Bureau, and the Unemployment Compensation Fraud Unit in the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit, between May and September 2020, DeMace is accused of fraudulently collecting approximately $15,312 in unemployment benefits, which were significantly increased during that period due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"DeMace applied for and collected the benefits even though she had been fired from her last job," authorities said. "Unemployment benefits have been designated as economic support for individuals who have become unemployed through no fault of their own. The benefits are funded by employers doing business in Connecticut."

In June and July of 2020, DeMace conspired with an unnamed co-defendant to collect approximately $4,776 in unemployment benefits using the identity of an individual who was incarcerated at the time. This individual had no knowledge of the fraud, authorities said.

In August and September 2020, DeMace attempted to collect unemployment benefits using the identity of a family member, but no benefits were paid out under this claim.

Patch attempted to find an attorney who is representing DeMace, but has not yet been successful in finding one. A message to the Chief State's Attorney's Office Monday was not immediately returned.

She was released on a $40,000 non-surety bond, and is scheduled to appear in New Britain Superior Court on Dec. 12.

The state's attoney's office reminds the public that the charges against DeMace "are merely accusations, and she is presumed innocent unless and until she is found guilty."

From the Chief State's Attorney's Office announcement:

Larceny in the First Degree by Defrauding a Public Community and Conspiracy to Commit Larceny in the First Degree are Class B felonies punishable by not less than one year nor more than 20 years in prison and/or up to a $15,000 fine. Attempt to Commit Larceny in the Second Degree is a Class C felony punishable by not less than one year nor more than 10 years in prison and/or up to a $10,000 fine. Unemployment Compensation Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Unemployment Compensation Fraud in excess of $500 are Class D felonies punishable by not less than 1 year nor more than 5 years in prison and/or up to a $5,000 fine. Unemployment Compensation Fraud of less than $500 is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by not more than 1 year nor more than 5 years in prison and/or up to a $2,000 fine. Identity Theft in the Third Degree and Conspiracy to Commit Identity Theft in the Third Degree are Class D felonies punishable by not less than 1 year nor more than 5 years in prison and/or up to a $5,000 fine.

The case is being prosecuted by the Statewide Prosecution Bureau, Unemployment Compensation Fraud Unit, which was established under a partnership between the Division of Criminal Justice and the Department of Labor to investigate and prosecute alleged fraud in the unemployment compensation program. It is financed with funds provided by the U.S. Department of Labor.