Connecticut correction officer pleads guilty to fraudulently collecting over $86K of benefits

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — A correction officer from Agawam, MA pleaded guilty for unlawfully collecting $86,648.08 in workers’ compensation and transportation benefits during his tenure with the Connecticut Department of Correction.

Matthew Hubbard, 56, admitted to three counts of fourth-degree larceny in Superior Court in Hartford on April 26. He was sentenced to 364 days in prison on each count (a total of 1,092 days), with the execution of the sentence suspended.

Instead, Hubbard will serve two years of probation under special conditions, with restitution to be determined by the Workers’ Compensation Commissioner.

The arrest warrant affidavit revealed that Hubbard, while on temporary total disability due to a work-related injury, continued to receive wage replacement and medical benefits from the state. However, during this time, he pursued recertification as a reserve police officer for the Agawam Police Department in Massachusetts and engaged in real estate transactions as an agent.

Under workers’ compensation regulations, recipients are required to report any changes in their medical condition or employment status. Hubbard’s failure to disclose his other sources of income and activities led to his arrest and subsequent guilty plea.

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