GALESBURG, Ill. — An Illinois woman was charged in Knox County with 10 counts of theft and identity theft totaling over a half-million dollars, according to the Galesburg Police Department and Knox County State's Attorney Jeremy S. Karlin.
An investigation by the U.S. Inspection General's Office, the Knox County State's Attorney's Office and the Galesburg Police Department determined about $530,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits were being mailed to a Galesburg address, according to the police department.
Further investigation revealed that 57-year-old Diane Wall was in possession of a significant amount of identity paperwork, government-funded debit cards and ledger data indicating thorough bookkeeping procedures.
Evidence showed the total amount of theft was significantly higher than the single-sourced total of $530,000. The operation was described as "part of a much larger network of criminal enterprise and involves more individuals and potentially foreign actors."
Wall was arrested last Wednesday, June 22 for multiple counts of theft and identity theft. She was indicted by a jury after Karlin presented evidence that she unlawfully obtained the unemployment benefits in 2020 and 2021 from several states, including Illinois, Nevada, California and Maryland.
As of Tuesday, June 28, Wall remained in the Knox County Jail with a bail of $500,000. She faces felonies punishable from six to 30 years in prison if convicted.
Police said the investigation into the theft was still ongoing as of Tuesday.
