A federal grand jury in Wichita has indicted Kylie Charles, 35, of Wichita, on charges of unemployment fraud and identity theft, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Kansas announced Wednesday.
Charles allegedly obtained over $100,000 by defrauding a federal relief program created to help people who lost income due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to court records, she faces 17 counts of wire fraud and 17 counts of aggravated identity theft.
The charges stem from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which extended unemployment benefits to individuals not usually eligible—such as small business owners, freelancers, and people with limited work histories.
Between May 2020 and August 2021, officials say Charles used stolen identities of people she knew to file false unemployment claims in multiple states—without their knowledge or consent.
The FBI is leading the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gordon is handling the prosecution.
Additional indictments announced Wednesday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office include:
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Chad M. Abildgaard, 33, of Wichita:
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Charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute
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Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
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Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
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Investigated by: U.S. Postal Inspection Service
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Prosecutor: Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch
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Nelson Agustin Gonzalez-Diaz, 74:
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Charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
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Possession of a firearm by an illegal alien
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Investigated by: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
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Prosecutor: Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler
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Manuel Jacquez Ibarra, 45:
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Charged with unlawful reentry after deportation
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Investigated by: Homeland Security Investigations
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Prosecutor: Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi
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David Yitzhak Espinoza, 31:
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Charged with unlawful reentry after deportation
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Investigated by: Homeland Security Investigations
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Prosecutor: Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler
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