A 69-year-old woman from Rush City has pled guilty in a mail fraud case, according to the US Department of Justice.
According to court documents, from 2017 through April 2022, Gayle Joyce Ferngren and others participated in a scheme to launder proceeds that were fraudulently obtained from victims throughout the country, including the proceeds of romance fraud scams and schemes to defraud Federal Pandemic Assistance Programs.
As a part of the plea, Ferngren acknowledged that she received at least 68 debit cards containing approximately $1.3 million in fraudulent unemployment benefits from California and Nevada.
In total, Ferngren laundered at least $1.8 million in fraud proceeds.
The release also stated that another member of the fraud scheme applied for a PPP loan in Ferngren's name in the amount of around $20,833.00. That money was reportedly deposited in Ferngren's account in May of 2021.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
