Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe today announced that Lawrence Partridge (DOB 08/09/64) of 110 East Willow Tree Road, Spring Valley, New York has been charged with one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class “D” Felony.

Partridge, while serving time at Rockland County jail in New City, is accused of certifying that he was eligible to receive Unemployment Benefits from New York State.

According to the charges, the defendant collected $4,800 in benefits, despite being ineligible because of his incarceration.

Partridge is currently serving a one-year sentence on a Misdemeanor harassment conviction relating to an incident in the Town of Haverstraw, plus a Felony drunken driving conviction from Rockland County Court.

The arrest of the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Rockland County Special Investigations Unit and the New York State Department of Labor.

Partridge was arraigned on June 1, 2011 in Clarkstown Justice Court by the Honorable Howard Gerber and returned to the Rockland County jail.

He is due to return to court on July 11, 2011. He faces up to seven years in state prison, if convicted.

It should be noted that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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