TRENTON — A Monmouth County woman was sentenced to four years in state prison today for insurance fraud, a year more than she faced under a plea deal because she submitted three forged letters to a judge in order to lessen her punishment, state authorities said.

Jennifer Massimo-Ruiz, 32, of Belmar, pleaded guilty Sept. 9 to submitting a fraudulent claim form to the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development stating she had worked during the year leading up to when she went out on maternity leave in 2010, when in fact she had not, the state Attorney General's Office said

As a result, she received $8,819 in disability insurance benefits, authorities said.

As part of the plea deal, state prosecutors agreed to recommend she be sentenced to three years in prison. But authorities said Massimo-Ruiz subsequently forged the letters stating she had cancer to state Superior Court Judge Robert Mega in Union County.

Under a revised plea deal, authorities said, Massimo-Ruiz admitted to submitting the letters, which included forged signatures of two doctors, in an effort to avoid or influence her pending sentencing. Authorities did not say how they discovered the forgeries.

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