Beverly Ashbaugh, a 51-year-old resident of Martinsburg, West Virginia, has admitted to committing wire fraud related to COVID-19 funding.
Court documents reveal that Ashbaugh submitted claims for Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) following the pandemic's impact on her job in March 2020. Even after resuming work, she continued filing claims for PEUC, resulting in her collection of nearly $30,000 in fraudulent benefits.
Ashbaugh could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The final sentence will be decided by a federal district court judge, who will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Salem is representing the government in prosecuting this case. The investigation was conducted by Workforce West Virginia, and U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided over the proceedings.
