Prosecutor: Kentucky woman filed false applications for $231,000 in coronavirus aid

A Kentucky woman included false information in applications for more than $200,000 in coronavirus aid, a federal prosecutor has charged.

Mandy Ellen Bauer, of Green County, faces nine charges of wire fraud because the alleged false applications were transmitted electronically.

A Jan. 18 charging document alleged that Bauer filed nine applications between April 2 and July 1, 2020, that had false information about employees and finances of her company, FPS.

On May 29, 2020, for instance, Bauer claimed the company had 10 employees when it didn’t have any.

The charges allege Bauer applied for a total of $231,514 in loans or advances meant to help companies that had economic losses because of the coronavirus pandemic. The document did not say Bauer received the money.

Michael A. Bennett, U.S. Attorney for the western half of Kentucky, charged Bauer through a document called an information. That is a way to charge someone without going to a grand jury.

Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.