Latest news with #IllinoisDepartmentofEmploymentSecurity
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
Suburban accountant accused in $10 million COVID-19 unemployment fraud scheme
A suburban accountant has been charged with conspiring to submit at least $10 million in bogus Illinois unemployment insurance claims during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the largest single schemes brought involving a program awash in fraud. Hiam Hmaidan, 53, of Oak Lawn, was arrested May 8 on a six-count indictment that became public this week charging her with mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud. She pleaded not guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez and was released on a $100,000 recognizance bond, court records show. Her attorney, Nishay Sanan, told the Tribune on Friday that Hmaidan 'looks forward to her day in court.' 'I don't think the government understands what was going on in this case,' Sanan said. According to the charges, from May 2020 to December 2022, Hmaidan and others conspired to use personal information obtained from other individuals to fraudulently apply for unemployment insurance benefits from the Illinois Department of Employment Security, which was was providing enhanced benefits to anyone out of work due to the pandemic. The applications submitted by Hmaidan, which were done online, used false employment information, false information regarding whether the claimant was unemployed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and false contact information for the claimant, according to the charges. Once approved, IDES sent unemployment funds via preloaded debit cards to Hmaidan and other co-conspirators, who withdrew cash from ATMs or transferred money to other accounts, according to the indictment. 'In total, Hmaidan and her co-conspirators filed …over 700 fraudulent UI claims with the IDES and stole at least approximately $10 million of UI benefits meant to help unemployed persons during the COVID-19 pandemic,' the indictment stated. The indictment mentions five identified co-conspirators, none of whom have been charged. Established in the early days of pandemic shutdowns in 2020, the IDES program for enhanced unemployment insurance was overwhelmed with claims and badly mismanaged, the Illinois Auditor General found in a report issued in 2023. The report stated IDES paid out over $5.2 billion in overpaid unemployment benefits during the first 18 months of the pandemic, with a large portion attributed to fraud. This overpayment included $6 million paid to 481 deceased individuals and $40.5 million in checks to incarcerated individuals, according to the report. 'Many decisions made during the pandemic were intended to decrease or eliminate delays and prioritize paying claims as soon as possible,' the report stated. 'Several of IDES' defenses against fraud could not handle the exponential increase in claims.' Online business records show Hmaidan has worked for years as a tax preparer for Horizon Tax Service Inc., headquartered on Chicago's Southwest Side, and at one point was listed as the company's president. 'Hiam Hmaidan assists taxpayers and small businesses with taxes in Chicago and the surrounding communities,' an online bio reads. 'Whether you are an individual or a local business in or around Chicago, Hmaidan has years of valuable experience as an IRS registered tax preparer.' jmeisner@
Chicago Tribune
16-05-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Suburban accountant accused in $10 million COVID-19 unemployment fraud scheme
A suburban accountant has been charged with conspiring to submit at least $10 million in bogus Illinois unemployment insurance claims during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the largest single schemes brought involving a program awash in fraud. Hiam Hmaidan, 53, of Oak Lawn, was arrested May 8 on a six-count indictment that became public this week charging her with mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud. She pleaded not guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez and was released on a $100,000 recognizance bond, court records show. Her attorney, Nishay Sanan, told the Tribune on Friday that Hmaidan 'looks forward to her day in court.' 'I don't think the government understands what was going on in this case,' Sanan said. According to the charges, from May 2020 to December 2022, Hmaidan and others conspired to use personal information obtained from other individuals to fraudulently apply for unemployment insurance benefits from the Illinois Department of Employment Security, which was was providing enhanced benefits to anyone out of work due to the pandemic. The applications submitted by Hmaidan, which were done online, used false employment information, false information regarding whether the claimant was unemployed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and false contact information for the claimant, according to the charges. Once approved, IDES sent unemployment funds via preloaded debit cards to Hmaidan and other co-conspirators, who withdrew cash from ATMs or transferred money to other accounts, according to the indictment. 'In total, Hmaidan and her co-conspirators filed …over 700 fraudulent UI claims with the IDES and stole at least approximately $10 million of UI benefits meant to help unemployed persons during the COVID-19 pandemic,' the indictment stated. The indictment mentions five identified co-conspirators, none of whom have been charged. Established in the early days of pandemic shutdowns in 2020, the IDES program for enhanced unemployment insurance was overwhelmed with claims and badly mismanaged, the Illinois Auditor General found in a report issued in 2023. The report stated IDES paid out over $5.2 billion in overpaid unemployment benefits during the first 18 months of the pandemic, with a large portion attributed to fraud. This overpayment included $6 million paid to 481 deceased individuals and $40.5 million in checks to incarcerated individuals, according to the report. 'Many decisions made during the pandemic were intended to decrease or eliminate delays and prioritize paying claims as soon as possible,' the report stated. 'Several of IDES' defenses against fraud could not handle the exponential increase in claims.' Online business records show Hmaidan has worked for years as a tax preparer for Horizon Tax Service Inc., headquartered on Chicago's Southwest Side, and at one point was listed as the company's president. 'Hiam Hmaidan assists taxpayers and small businesses with taxes in Chicago and the surrounding communities,' an online bio reads. 'Whether you are an individual or a local business in or around Chicago, Hmaidan has years of valuable experience as an IRS registered tax preparer.'
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Illinois hits new high in employment numbers
Springfield, Ill. (WCIA) – Most states depend on employment to function and progress. The state of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has been pushing for more job training and development programs after investing $13 million to boost the workforce in healthcare to manufacturing in 2023. Now the state has reached a new milestone. The Illinois Department of Employment Security announced that it reached an all-time high in employment. More people are working, which is good news for Illinoisans and companies. 'Every cone, every sign, every worker counts:' Illinois honors Work Zone Awareness Week Last month, the state saw more than 140,000 new jobs added in schools, hospitals, stores, factories, and offices. That means 6,172,300 jobs were available, beating the previous record which was 6,161,000 in December 2024. Deputy Governor Andy Manar said this shows the impact of committing to creating jobs in the state. 'Working and doing business in Illinois pays off,' Manar said. 'The new high in job growth underscores the resolve of our state labor force. Today's data is a marked bright spot for the Illinois labor market, its workers, and employers.' In recent months, the government sector saw the highest boost in jobs, with 4,500 positions, followed by transportation and healthcare. However, IT and financial sector jobs saw a decrease in payrolls. Unemployment is still present, even with the good news. However, the unemployment rate remains the same with around 300,000 people without jobs. The same 4.8 percent rate since February. Illinois's unemployment rate has remained 4.8 percent since February, slower compared to the national 4.2 percent rate. However the new record shows steady improvement in the job market for the state. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Not sure if you're eligible for unemployment? Here's what to know about benefits in Illinois
Though the experience of being laid off is one many Americans can relate to, the process can be daunting and confusing and differs from state to state. The multiple websites, application portals and eligibility requirements only add to the stress of those trying to find work. Unemployment insurance is a state-operated insurance program designed to partially replace lost wages when you are temporarily or permanently out of a job, out of no choice of your own, or if you work less than full time because of a lack of work. The program ensures that those who are eligible can receive a certain level of income while seeking work. You can find information about such eligibility requirements, the claim filing process and benefit payments below. To qualify for unemployment insurance in Illinois, you must be involuntarily out of work entirely or working less than full time because it's not available. You also must have earned at least $1,600 during a recent 12-month base period and at least $440 outside of the base period quarter in which your earnings were the highest. Your employer must be subject to the state's unemployment insurance law, and you must be not only able and available to work, but also actively seeking work and willing to accept any suitable job offered. Those who were discharged for misconduct, were charged with a misdemeanor or felony related to their work, voluntarily quit without good cause or are out of work because of a labor dispute are not eligible. Others are reading: US jobs report: Employers add 143,000 jobs in January as unemployment rate sits at 4% Make sure to file your claim for unemployment insurance benefits during the first week after you become unemployed. You can file for benefits by creating an account with the Illinois Benefits Information System (IBIS) system or in person at a local Illinois Department of Employment Security office. To file, you need your social security number, your driver's license or state ID and the name, mailing address, phone number, employment dates and separation reason for all the employers you worked for in the last 18 months. You also need the social security number, date of birth and name of any dependents you claim. Additional records are required for those who received pension payments, noncitizens, recently separated veterans and former civilian employees of the federal government. You must finish your application in one sitting, as any entered information will be lost if you step away for more than an hour. Those who are approved will receive a UI Claimant Wage Information Sheet, or UI Finding, in the mail 7-10 days after filing, which contains information including your weekly benefit amount and certification day. Story continues after photo gallery. Individual Illinois residents can receive a minimum of $51 and a maximum of $605 per week in unemployment benefits. Those with a spouse can receive between $66 and $721, while those with a child are eligible for $77 to $827. You can receive benefits for up to a maximum of 26 weeks in a one-year period. If you believe you've been wrongfully denied benefits, you can write a letter or complete the Request for Reconsideration of Claims Adjudicator's Determination form within 30 days. Mail, fax or deliver this to your local IDES office. You will then attend an appeal hearing, where you will present your case to an IDES administrative law judge, who will determine whether unemployment insurance benefits are payable. Any documents entered as exhibits must be faxed or mailed to the judge and any other parties in time to ensure receipt of the documents before the date of the scheduled hearing. Files may be inspected by submitting a completed Review File Request to the local office where the claim was filed or the agency's main office at 33 S. State, Chicago, IL. After the hearing, you will receive a decision. If you miss the hearing, you can request to reopen the hearing within 10 days after the hearing date. Those who collect more unemployment insurance benefits than they are eligible for are committing fraud. To avoid this, follow the rules on the IDES website, report income from part-time or temporary work while looking for a full-time position and report gross wages in the week you work and earn them, not in the week you are paid. Examples of fraud include falsifying dependency information and providing false and/or inaccurate information to IDES. Those who commit fraud are subject to serious penalties, including prosecution by government authorities, jail or prison sentences, force repayment of unemployment insurance benefits collected, plus penalties and fines, forfeiting future income tax refunds and losing eligibility for future unemployment benefits. This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Here's how to apply for unemployment insurance in Illinois
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Laid-off federal workers are overwhelming states with unemployment requests, putting a strain on finances
Dozens of states are warning that their social services are under financial strain due to the volume and pace of unemployment requests from federal employees who have been fired in the DOGE-led job cuts. At least 100,000 employees have been terminated across various federal agencies and departments over the last seven weeks. Tens of thousands of probationary employees have also been let go and more reductions are expected in the near future. Federal workers say they have no time to prepare for unemployment and there is minimal communication with the administration about obtaining benefits. They are left scrambling to obtain unemployment with their states so they can continue paying their bills and keeping food on the table. As a result, states are being inundated with social service requests for unemployment with little to no warning and dwindling financial resources, 19 state attorney generals said in a court filing last week. 'In addition to the informational and procedural injuries resulting from the deprivation of notice to which they were entitled, the lack of notice has impeded the ability of many Plaintiff States to support affected employees and thereby mitigate the financial and other impacts on state services,' Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown wrote. The Maryland Department of Labor said it receives 30 to 60 new claims every day. The state is home to more than 140,000 federal workers. The Illinois Department of Employment Security has received nearly the same number of applications for unemployment benefits from federal workers in two and a half months as it did all of last year. Each time an unemployment claim is filed, the state must investigate and then allocate the proper resources. But, for areas of the country such as Washington, D.C., which relies heavily on taxpayer dollars – many of whom are federal employees, the loss of tax revenue impacts the social services they can offer. The state attorney generals have asked a federal judge to place an injunction on the reductions in force. The breakneck pace at which the government is conducting layoffs, buyouts or firings is a result of President Donald Trump's collaboration with billionaire Elon Musk to create the Department of Government Efficiency – a newly-established and informal group within the executive department analyzing areas where the government can cut costs. Musk has promised to drastically reduce the federal workforce as part of the effort to cut costs, believing that most government employees are unnecessary. Federal agencies have until April to provide the administration with their plan to consolidate management. Per federal laws, if a government agency carries out a reduction in force, it must follow guidelines that protect certain employees and provide advance notice to states about the incoming surge of unemployed residents. State attorney generals say the government has not done that.
