MO woman indicted after allegedly using names of prisoners on covid unemployment claims

A woman from St. Joseph has been charged with defrauding the federal government out of nearly 80-Thousand dollars in coronavirus relief aid. 

A federal grand jury empaneled in Kansas City handed down a four-count indictment against 38-year-old Brooke Stewart.

The federal indictment accuses Stewart of filing false unemployment claims by using the names of prisoners. 

Congress approved enhanced unemployment benefits in March of 2020, part of the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The indictment charges Stewart filed for the 600-dollar enhanced unemployment benefits for four separate people not eligible under the program, known as “Emergency Increase in Unemployment Compensation.” 

The indictment seeks the return of 78-Thousand, 858 dollars to the federal government.