New York Paralegal Blog

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that he has signed into law a measure extending federally-funded unemployment insurance benefits through 2011. Without this new law, the state would not be able to continue to pay a total of 93 weeks of benefits and would have forfeited $620 million in federal payments to the unemployed, negatively impacting approximately 166,000 New Yorkers. "This measure will ensure out-of-work New Yorkers will continue to have a federally-funded safety net to help them weather this prolonged economic downturn," Governor Cuomo said. "Re-entering the workforce can be daunting and time consuming. This law provides basic relief for the thousands of job-hunters across the state."

More Than $300,000 Stolen From City and State; Several Cases Involve Public Employees Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the arrests of 37 individuals on charges related to the theft of unemployment benefits from New York State and low-income housing subsidies from New York City.[1] The arrests follow investigations conducted in partnership with the New York State Department of Labor (“DOL”) and the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”). At least eight more arrests are expected this week, with the total cost to taxpayers estimated at $360,000. “Our City and State are struggling to balance budgets while providing critical public services,” said District Attorney Vance. “Unemployment benefits and low-income housing subsidies are lifelines for those in need. These funds cannot be fraudulently siphoned away from the New Yorkers who rightfully qualify for assistance. I thank the Department of Investigation and the Department of Labor for their a...

Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the arrests of 30 former and current New York State employees who allegedly obtained unemployment benefits illegally while on State payroll. The individuals were arrested as part of the Attorney General’s statewide sweep over the past week, targeting abuses of the financially strapped New York State unemployment system. In New York’s current fiscal crisis, the unemployment insurance fund provides much-needed financial relief to thousands of New Yorkers who have lost their jobs. According to complaints filed in New York, Bronx, Kings, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk, Nassau, Albany, Dutchess, Rockland and Westchester Counties over the past week, these 30 defendants stole thousands of dollars from New York State by falsely certifying that they were qualified for unemployment insurance benefits through the Department of Labor’s electronic certification process. “New York’s unemployment insurance fund was created to help hard-working individuals w...

(USDOJ) A federal court in Sacramento, Calif., issued a preliminary injunction ordering Capitol Waste Inc. and Iva and Kenneth Whitmire of Sacramento to comply with federal employment tax withholding requirements and to timely pay all present and future employment tax, unemployment tax and income tax liabilities, the Justice Department announced today. Capitol Waste, Inc. and the Whitmires agreed to the preliminary injunction order. The Justice Department filed suit on Oct. 8, 2008, seeking to enjoin the defendants from interfering with the administration of the Internal Revenue laws. The complaint alleges that the defendants have failed to comply fully with Capitol Waste’s employment tax, unemployment tax and income tax obligations since 2000. According to the complaint, Capitol Waste failed to pay almost $2.6 million in federal employment and unemployment taxes between 2000 and 2007. Full Story...

NEW YORK, N.Y. (December 3, 2008) - Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the arrest of the owners of the popular Saigon Grill restaurants in New York City for allegedly failing to pay its workers legal wages, taking illegal kickbacks from workers, cheating the state unemployment insurance fund, and for creating fraudulent business records to cover up their illegal actions. Simon Nget a.k.a. Chang S. Nget, and his wife, Michelle Lu Nget a.k.a. Pei Ying Nget, are accused of numerous criminal charges based on their business practices at the Saigon Grill restaurants in Manhattan, located at 620 Amsterdam Avenue on the Upper West Side and 91 University Place in Greenwich Village, and formerly located at 1700 Second Avenue on the Upper East Side. The Ngets have owned and operated the popular restaurants since 1996. More...