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Oct. 19, 2023St. Joseph, Mo. |  By: Jeremy Werner

St. Joseph sentenced in connection with COVID fraud

prison

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Brooke Stewart, 39, has been sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison for using stolen identities of prison inmates to fraudulently obtain federal unemployment benefits under the CARES Act.

The St. Joseph woman pleaded guilty to stealing government funds, admitting to filing false claims for unemployment benefits using stolen identity information from five incarcerated individuals.

She fraudulently received benefits in her name and another person's, totaling at least $139,663. None of the inmates received any fraudulently obtained benefits.

Stewart, previously convicted of trafficking in stolen identities, was on supervision during this federal offense.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor.