62 Pickle Makers Pay $960K For Jobless Aid Fraud
IMLAY TOWNSHIP (AP) - The state says 62 former workers at a Vlasic pickle factory have pleaded guilty and will make $960,000 in restitution for fraudulently collecting unemployment benefits while continuing to work.
The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs announced the sentencing Wednesday. It says the 62 people worked for Pinnacle Foods Inc. in Lapeer County's Imlay Township, about 45 miles north of Detroit.
The Lapeer County prosecutor's office also carried out the investigation. The state says the defendants got probation and restitution orders ranging from $5,309 to $40,670.
Pinnacle Foods is based in Parsippany, N.J. Its other brands include Duncan Hines, Birds Eye and Mrs. Butterworth's.
Pinnacle spokeswoman Elizabeth Rowland says the case "is a matter between the state and the individuals."
(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
