[Vision2020] Man Charged With Filing for Unemployment . . . From Jail

[Tom Hansen]

Courtesy of the Magic Valley Times-News (Twin Falls, Idaho) at:

http://magicvalley.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/police-fife-claimed-unemployment-money-from-jail/article_56bc7c3b-acb7-501b-aa76-7eea874cdc82.html
 
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Police: Fife Claimed Unemployment Money from Jail

TWIN FALLS • A Twin Falls man shot by police during a pursuit last April has been accused of fraudulently claiming unemployment insurance from jail.

Lee Randel Fife, 41, was arraigned Wednesday in Twin Falls County 5th District Court on three felony counts of misrepresentation to obtain benefits under the Employment Security Act.

According to police reports, Fife was instructing his daughter, a minor, to call in the unemployment claim every week and told her how to answer questions for the claim when prompted.

Fife allegedly told the Idaho Department of Labor that he was physically able to work and available for work at all times when, in fact, he has been incarcerated at the Twin Falls County Jail since Nov. 7 on separate aggravated battery and burglary charges.

Court records state that Fife called his daughter from a jail phone and, in a recorded conversation, explained to her how to go on the Idaho unemployment insurance website and make the claim with his Social Security number and PIN.

The unemployment insurance funds would be deposited on a debit card which Fife’s daughter had. With it, Fife allegedly had her pay a phone bill and put money on Fife’s account at the jail.

After the second week of making the alleged fraudulent claims, Fife told his daughter in another recorded phone call that the two have been caught.

“I got a thing saying that they know I’m in jail and I shouldn’t be making unemployment claims,” Fife said, according to the phone call transcript.

Despite this, court records allege Fife told his daughter to make one more claim.

Police say on Nov. 13 and Nov. 20 Fife was paid $334 each day. The third claim, on Nov. 27 resulted in no payment.

Fife is held on a $25,000 bond and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 2.

He will be sentenced on March 19 for the crimes he was in jail for, to which he pleaded guilty in January.

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Seeya later, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Post Falls, Idaho

"If not us, who?
If not now, when?"

- Unknown


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