DEPEW, N.Y. — A 56-year-old Depew woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to defrauding the government of COVID-19 unemployment benefits.
According to the Erie County District Attorney's Office, Julieann McCarty opened multiple bank accounts between May 2020 and July 2021 to deposit illegally obtained state and federal COVID-19 benefits.
The District Attorney's office says additional accounts with McCarty's address were also used for the "fraudulent application and delivery of funds." McCarty then acted as a "money mule" keeping some of the money for herself and transferring the rest to other unidentified individuals.
According to the Erie County District Attorney's Office, the loss in state and federal funds exceeded over $100,000.
McCarty pleaded guilty to the highest sustainable charge of one count of scheme to defraud in the first degree, a class E felony, and was released on her own recognizance. McCarty faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison.