Michael Rosa, 62, of Salem, pleaded guilty in federal court to wire fraud, First Assistant United States Attorney Jay McCormack announced today.
In March 2020, Congress passed legislation providing additional unemployment benefits to individuals who lost their jobs because of the economic upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic. At the time, Rosa controlled several companies located in Plaistow, including Enviromart and KSC Industrial. In late March 2020, Rosa and his co/ defendant, George Adyns, directed company employees to file for unemployment benefits with NHES while continuing to work This caused the unemployment system to effectively pay the employees' salaries. As a result, NHES paid out almost $50,000 in fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits.