Ex-Erie firefighter gets probation for cashing unemployment checks received while working

A former Erie firefighter accused by the Pennsylvania State Police of keeping thousands of dollars in unemployment funding he was not entitled to while he was still working was sentenced to two years of probation on his guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge in the case.

Corey Delio, 48, pleaded guilty before Erie County Judge David Ridge on Monday morning to a second-degree misdemeanor count of unsworn falsification to authorities and was given a standard range sentence of two years of probation.

Ridge also ordered Delio to perform 100 hours of community service and to pay back the $7,428 in unemployment benefits he admitted to receiving. Delio's lawyer, Gregory Grasinger, told Ridge that Delio had already paid back the money.

More: State police charge Erie firefighter with keeping thousands in improper unemployment funds

Ridge told Delio if he makes restitution, completes the community service time and follows all of the requirements of Erie County Adult Probation, he would consider releasing him after one year of probation.

Delio recently retired from the Erie Bureau of Fire, a deputy city solicitor told Ridge during the sentencing hearing. Delio had served as a city firefighter for over 15 years, his lawyer said in court.

Delio had initially faced felony counts of theft and receiving stolen property in addition to the misdemeanor charge in a criminal complaint state police filed against him on June 13. The felony charges were dropped by prosecutors at Delio's preliminary hearing on June 29.

More: Felonies dropped against Erie firefighter accused of keeping improper unemployment funds

State police accused Delio of collecting and depositing a number of checks that were issued by the Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Benefit Account in 2021 and 2022 for weeks when Delio was employed by the city and was not entitled to receive the money.

Investigators wrote in Delio's criminal complaint that the City of Erie's human resources department learned that a number of city employees had fraudulent unemployment claims filed in their names, and the employees were instructed on reporting the fraud claims. Delio was advised of a fraud claim in his name, according to the complaint.

In August 2022, city human resources officials received an unemployment claim statement which suspected Delio may have received weeks of unemployment funds. Officials contacted Delio, who responded by email stating he mailed the checks back, according to information in the complaint.

Investigators later learned that there were a list of payments made to Delio, and when they served search warrants on Delio's bank accounts they received copies of checks that were deposited in two bank accounts, state police wrote in the complaint.

Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNhahn.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Ex-Erie PA firefighter gets probation for keeping unemployment funds