proceeded to trial, the State was prepared to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2011, Martin failed to report his weekly earnings to the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (RIDLT) while he was working at various employers including Cardi Corporation, Capital Convention Contractors, Demers Exposition Services, Atlas Scaffolding, Spectacor Management Group/Rhode Island Convention Center, Global Experience Specialists, Freeman, Brede Exposition Services/Casey & Hayes, Special Event Rentals, Champion Exposition, Dame Associates and National Convention Exserv Inc. During this time period he was also collecting unemployment insurance.

Amaral was sentenced to five years probation and ordered to pay full restitution, in the amount of $12,363, to the State of Rhode Island.

Had the case proceeded to trial, the State was prepared to provebeyond a reasonable doubt that between June 10, 2006 and May 8, 2010, Amaral failed to report his weekly earnings to the RIDLT while he was employed for many weeks on a full-time basis at A.P. Leitao & Sons Landscaping, Inc.

Martin and Amaral were required to report any earnings when they called the RIDLT Teleserve automated payment system each week to certify for their weekly unemployment insurance payments using their personal pin numbers.

The department discovered both defendants' failure to report earnings by cross-matching its unemployment insurance database with RI wage records and the National Directory of New Hires. To combat fraud, RIDLT also maintains a tip line at (401) 462-1522 where the public can report benefits fraud anonymously.

"Rhode Island currently has one of the highest unemployment rates in