Sec. 54a.
(1) Any employing unit or an officer or agent of an employing unit, an employee of the commission, or a third party shall not require an individual, as a condition of employment, to make a false statement or representation knowing it to be false to obtain or increase a benefit or other payment under this act or to avoid or reduce a contribution or other payment required from an employing unit under this act.
(2) If the commission determines that an employing unit or an officer or agent of an employing unit, an employee of the commission, or a third party has violated this section, the commission may recover an amount equal to the amount of benefits or increase in benefits or other payment received or an amount equal to the amount of contributions or other payments from an employing unit avoided or reduced based on the violation of this section plus an amount equal to 3 times that amount but not less than $5,000.00.
(3) The commission may refer the matter to the prosecuting attorney of the county in which the alleged violation occurred for prosecution. If the commission has not made its own determination under subsection (2), the penalty sought by the prosecutor shall include the amount described in subsection (2) and both a fine of not less than $5,000.00 and 1 of the following:
(a) Imprisonment for not more than 10 years.
(b) The performance of community service of not more than 10 years but not to exceed 20,800 hours.
(c) A combination of (a) and (b) that does not exceed 10 years.
(4) This section applies to conduct that began before April 1, 1992 but that continued on or after April 1, 1992 and to conduct that began on or after April 1, 1992.
(5) The amount recovered by the commission pursuant to subsection (2) or (3) shall be credited first to the unemployment compensation fund and thereafter amounts recovered that are in excess of the amounts obtained, increased, avoided, or reduced as a result of the violation of this section shall be credited to the penalty and interest account of the contingent fund.
(6) This section shall take effect April 1, 1992.
History: Add. 1991, Act 5, Eff. Apr. 1, 1992 ;-- Am. 1993, Act 278, Imd. Eff. Dec. 28, 1993