(Rockford, IA) — A Rockford woman will spend time in prison for receiving unemployment benefits in other people’s names from several states. Fifty-three-year-old Stephanie Mendenhall was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to four counts of theft of government funds and one count of money laundering conspiracy. Mendenhall admitted to making false claims for COVID-19 unemployment insurance benefits in Maine, Michigan, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Kansas, and Illinois. Mendenhall laundered most of the money by purchasing cryptocurrency and sending it to a co-conspirator. She was ordered to make 46-thousand dollars in restitution to the states.
