Raoul Alleges Woman Applied for Loans While Receiving Unemployment, Workers Compensation Benefits
Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul charged a Cook County woman alleging she fraudulently received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and unemployment benefits totally approximately $44,699 while employed by the U.S. Postal Service and receiving workers’ compensation benefits during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Attorney General’s office charged Linda Anthony, 52, of Chicago with theft of governmental property not exceeding $100,000, a Class 1 felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison; theft of governmental property not exceeding $10,000, theft by deception not exceeding $100,000, loan fraud and state benefits fraud, all Class 2 felonies punishable by up to seven years in prison; theft by deception not exceeding $10,000 and three counts of forgery, all Class 3 felonies punishable by up to five years in prison; and two counts of income tax fraud, Class 4 felonies punishable by up to three years in prison. Sentences will be served concurrently and are ultimately determined by the court. Anthony’s next court date is May 19.
“It is unacceptable that any government employee would abuse government funding, especially federal COVID-era assistance that served as a lifeline for many small businesses and unemployed Americans,” Raoul said. “I am committed to holding public workers accountable for abusing these critical programs at the expense of the public they are supposed to serve.”
Attorney General Raoul’s office alleges Anthony was employed by the Postal Service when she fraudulently applied for a PPP loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration by falsely claiming she owned a business that did not exist. According to Raoul’s office, Anthony received a $10,000 EIDL advance in June 2020 and then a $20,830 PPP loan in April 2021, all while she received a total of $13,866 in unemployment benefits.
The Attorney General’s office is prosecuting this case based on a referral from the U.S. Postal Service - Office of the Inspector General (OIG), which was initially looking into alleged workers’ compensation fraud.
“The USPS OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to ensuring the accountability and integrity of Postal Service employees and stopping those who perpetrate fraud schemes,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennus Bishop, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office.
The charges are the most recent actions Attorney General Raoul has taken to hold individuals accountable for fraudulently collecting government assistance related to the pandemic. Raoul’s office has prosecuted a number of individuals for PPP loan fraud and referred other investigations to the appropriate state’s attorneys for further evaluation.
The public is reminded that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Assistant Attorneys General Haley Bookhout and Mara Somlo are prosecuting the cases for Raoul’s Public Integrity Bureau.
