A federal grand jury in Chattanooga returned a two-count indictment on July 28 against Amy Denise Fields, 62, of Knoxville, for conspiracy to commit money laundering and a substantive money laundering offense, according to an Aug. 4 announcement. Fields appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Debra C. Poplin in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee in Knoxville on August 3. She pleaded not guilty and was released pending trial, which is scheduled for October 6 before United States District Judge Thomas A. Varlan.
The indictment alleges that Fields and unnamed co-conspirators conspired to launder money obtained fraudulently from federal programs during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the charges, her co-conspirators submitted fraudulent applications for Unemployment Insurance benefits to several states using Fields’s personal information, including her residential address and bank account details that she knowingly provided.
The fraudulent UI benefits were electronically deposited into bank accounts controlled by Fields, some of which she allegedly opened specifically for this purpose. The indictment further alleges that, knowing these funds were intended for other individuals and were fraudulently obtained, Fields withdrew cash from these accounts and deposited it into Bitcoin ATM machines in the Eastern District of Tennessee as part of efforts to promote ongoing unlawful activity and conceal proceeds from the scheme.
If convicted on both counts, Fields faces up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, a fine up to $500,000, restitution obligations, and forfeiture.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Acting Supervisory Agent in Charge Kelly Linemann of the U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General announced the indictment. The investigation was conducted by the Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General; Assistant United States Attorney William A. Roach Jr. will represent the government at trial.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced creation of its National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division), focused on investigating and prosecuting fraud against federal benefit programs as part of President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance.
Authorities remind members of the public that an indictment constitutes only charges; every person is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.