Ecuadoran Man Falsified Social Security Number to Receive Benefits

A man who was reportedly living in the U.S. illegally admitted yesterday that he misused a Social Security number to receive unemployment insurance compensation benefits from the Connecticut Department of Labor, according to authorities.

The man, Timo Jimenez, 40, a citizen of Ecuador last residing on Fillmore Street in New Haven, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty yesterday before Senior U.S. District Judge Ellen Bree Burns, said David B. Fein, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.

After pleading guilty to the single count, Jimenez was sentenced to six months of imprisonment, time served.  He was also ordered to repay the more than $20,000 he had fraudulently received, according to court documents.     

Jimenez was reportedly living in the U.S. illegally when, between February 2007 and October 2010, he falsely obtained the benefits by using a Social Security number that did not belong to him. Jimenez was working for a New Haven area excavation company as early as 2004, authorities said.

In February 2007, November 2008 and December 2009, he filed claims for unemployment insurance compensation benefits from the state. He reportedly supplied false information on those claims, that he was a U.S. citizen and that the Social Security number used was his.

Based on his false claims, the state Department of Labor sent Jimenez a total of $21,746 in unemployment insurance compensation benefit checks. Judge Burns ordered Jimenez to pay full restitution.

According to a press release from Fein’s office, people who do not have a Social Security number or are not lawfully entitled to work in the United States are ineligible to receive unemployment insurance compensation benefits that employers pay to the Connecticut unemployment fund.

Jimenez’ actions were reportedly discovered during a criminal investigation related to undocumented workers fraudulently seeking and receiving unemployment insurance compensation benefits. That investigation, in 2010 and 2011, was undertaken by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG).

Jimenez, who has been detained since his arrest on July 7, 2011, has been transferred into the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and will be deported to Ecuador.