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Major League Soccer Referee Charged With Fraud In N.Y., Suspended

CENTEREACH, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) - A Major League Soccer referee has been suspended after being accused of collecting New York unemployment benefits while working.

State police say Jose Rivero of White Plains unlawfully took more than $14,000 in benefits. He was arrested Oct. 6 and charged with two felonies including insurance fraud.

The police said they did not know if the 33-year-old Rivero had a lawyer. There was no phone listing for Rivero in White Plains.

The Professional Referees Organization, which supervises referees for Major League Soccer and other soccer leagues, said Rivero had been suspended. It said he would not be assigned to any matches until legal proceedings are over.

The state police said the state's Worker's Compensation Board and its Insurance Fund aided in the investigation.

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