NH man enters guilty plea for illegally collecting pandemic benefits

BRENTWOOD — A Salem man pleaded guilty to fraud for collecting nearly $37,000 in unemployment compensation during the pandemic.

Angel Marcelino, 41, entered a plea deal on the felony and an attempted fraud charge.

Judge Andrew Schulman issued him an amended sentence in Rockingham County Superior Court on Jan. 18. New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella and NH Employment Security Commissioner George Copadis jointly announced the amended sentence on Tuesday.

He was sentenced to 12 months in Rockingham County jail, but 11 months of those months are suspended for five years and conditioned on good behavior. Out of the one month, nine days are also suspended for two years.

Marcelino will be released after 14 days on “good behavior,” Schulman said in the amended sentence form. This comes after Marcelino made a motion to reconsider, saying he would lose his job if he was in jail for longer than that amount of time.

“This order makes it possible for the defendant to both serve the sentence and keep his job,” according to the court document.

Marcelino was indicted for the crime last March.

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He was convicted of failing to disclose he was employed and making money to the New Hampshire Employment Security so he could obtain or increase his unemployment benefits while also collecting for unemployment from April 2020 to April 2021.

During that time, Marcelino filed weekly claims for benefits and answered “no” when prompted if he had worked or earned an income the prior week.

Marcelino received $36,904 in unemployment compensation which he wasn’t entitled to get. The total included additional federal benefits because of COVID-19.

He also tried to receive additional benefits from April 2021 to September 2021, but he was unsuccessful. Marcelino failed to accurately report his hours and wages on his weekly continued claims.

Marcelino will have to pay $44,285 in restitution and penalties to the New Hampshire Department of Corrections as part of his plea deal. He also cannot receiving any unemployment benefits for one year. According to court documents, he must report to serve the sentence on Feb. 5.

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