A Wichita woman is under indictment by a federal grand jury for allegedly defrauding a federal program during the Covid pandemic.

 

The U.S. Attorney's Office says 35-year-old Kylie Charles allegedly stole the identities of people she knew and then used that information to file false claims for unemployment benefits in multiple states from May 2020 through August 2021 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or CARES Act.

 

The CARES Act provided financial relief to Americans dealing with the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program expanded unemployment benefits to some people who would not typically qualify, such as business owners, self-employed workers, independent contractors, those with a limited work history, and people who lost their business as a result of the pandemic.

 

Charles has been charged with 17 counts of wire fraud and 17 counts of aggravated identity theft.

 

The FBI is investigating the case.