Albany, NY (March 24, 2015) – New York State Department of Labor Acting Commissioner Mario J. Musolino announced today that Ramon Delacruz of Haverstraw, New York was arrested yesterday on charges of applying for and receiving the Unemployment Insurance benefits of at least 10 individuals living outside the United States.  Once a person leaves the United States, its territories or Canada, it is against the law to continue to collect unemployment insurance benefits.

Mr. Delacruz is accused of stealing more than $100,000 over a four-year span.

“Unemployment Insurance benefits are an important safety net for all New Yorkers and the integrity of the system must be preserved,” said Acting Commissioner Musolino.  “When criminal activity of this kind goes unchecked, all New Yorkers suffer.  That’s why it’s so important that the Department of Labor remains vigilant and dedicated in our investigations.  I thank Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe and his team for their assistance in bringing this individual to justice.”

The investigation into Mr. Delacruz’s activity began with the New York State Department of Labor’s Office of Special Investigations Major Case Unit and was completed with the cooperation of the Rockland County District Attorney’s office.

The New York State Department of Labor operates one of the largest Unemployment Insurance systems in the country. The state is a national leader in the prevention and investigation of Unemployment Insurance benefits fraud. In 2012, New York State was selected by the United States Department of Labor to create the Unemployment Insurance National Integrity Center of Excellence. The Center of Excellence is identifying, developing and piloting new strategies and tools to combat improper payment and fraud on a national level.

Anyone with information about possible Unemployment Insurance fraud should call the Department of Labor's anonymous toll-free fraud hotline at (888) 598-2077 or visit www.labor.ny.gov/fraud.