A Rochester resident, Melanie Armstrong, has pleaded guilty to fraudulently applying for national emergency benefits, filing false claims against a government agency, and using others’ identities to claim unemployment benefits. Armstrong, who is staring at a possible thirty-year prison sentence and a $1 million fine, misrepresented her income standing to claim over $131,000 in unemployment benefits and applied for an additional $250,000. She also falsely filed 19 income tax returns with the IRS and 17 false tax returns with New York State, leading to about $101,000 in tax refunds issued to her under the false pretense. Armstrong also secured around $18,750 in fraudulent refunds from New York State. The evidence leading to her plea came from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor and the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. A sentencing date is still pending.

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