Pennsylvania Statutes Title 43 P.S. Labor § 871. False statements and representations to obtain or increase compensation

(a) Whoever makes a false statement or representation knowing it to be false, or knowingly fails to disclose a material fact to obtain or increase any compensation or other payment under this act or under an employment security law of any other state or of the Federal Government or of a foreign government, either for himself or for any other person, shall upon conviction thereof in a summary proceeding, be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than five hundred dollars nor more than one thousand five hundred dollars, or shall be sentenced to imprisonment for not longer than thirty days, or both, and each such false statement or representation or failure to disclose a material fact shall constitute a separate offense. In addition to any other sanction, an individual convicted under this subsection shall be ordered to make restitution of the compensation to which the individual was not entitled and of interest on that compensation in accordance with section 804(a). 1

(b) Whoever makes a false statement knowing it to be false, or knowingly fails to disclose a material fact to obtain or increase any compensation or other payment under this act or under an employment security law of any other state or of the Federal Government or of a foreign government, may be disqualified in addition to such week or weeks of improper payments for a penalty period of five weeks and for not more than one additional week for each such week of improper payment: Provided, That no additional weeks of disqualification shall be imposed under this section if prosecution proceedings have been instituted against the claimant because of such misrepresentation or non-disclosure. The departmental determination imposing penalty weeks under the provisions of this subsection shall be subject to appeal in the manner provided in this act for appeals from determinations of compensation. The penalty weeks herein provided for shall be imposed against any weeks with respect to which the claimant would otherwise be eligible for compensation, under the provisions of this act, which begin within the ten year period following the end of the benefit year with respect to which the improper payment or payments occurred.

(c) Whoever makes a false statement knowing it to be false, or knowingly fails to disclose a material fact to obtain or increase compensation or other payment under this act or under an employment security law of the Federal Government and as a result receives compensation to which he is not entitled shall be liable to pay to the Unemployment Compensation Fund a sum equal to fifteen per centum (15%) of the amount of the compensation. The sum shall be collectible in the manner provided in section 308.1 or 309 of this act  2 for the collection of past due contributions and by any other means available under Federal or State law. No administrative or legal proceeding for the collection of the sum may be instituted after the expiration of ten years following the end of the benefit year with respect to which the sum was paid.

(d) Subsection (b) shall be applied by substituting ten weeks for five weeks and the prohibition in subsection (b) on the imposition of penalty weeks if prosecution proceedings have been instituted shall not apply in any of the following circumstances:

(e) In circumstances described under subsection (d)(1) or (2), the department shall refer the matter to the appropriate prosecuting authority.