Naugatuck man facing forgery charges

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NAUGATUCK — A borough man has been charged with forging a signed letter from a workers’ compensation commissioner to convince his landlord he would pay owed money after receiving a settlement.

Randal Lee Ruelle, 43, of 688 New Haven Road, owed rent and utility expenses and was facing eviction, according to a release from the state’s Division of Criminal Justice. He presented his landlord with a forged letter stating he would receive a workers’ compensation settlement, which Ruelle said he would use to pay for everything, according to authorities.

Ruelle was already incarcerated on an unrelated charge and was charged Wednesday with second-degree forgery, a felony with a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He was arraigned Wednesday at Waterbury Superior Court. The Workers’ Compensation Fraud Control Bureau of the Chief State’s Attorney’s Office will prosecute the case against him, according to authorities.