Sioux City, Iowa — A Le Mars man has pled guilty to stealing government funds through a COVID-19 unemployment scheme during an appearance Friday morning in Federal Court in Sioux City.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office, 54-year-old Dennis George Chinn, of Le Mars, admitted to falsely reporting his income, stating it was $150 per week, so he could get an additional $600 weekly payment, and fraudulently obtaining unemployment benefits related to COVID-19 relief funds to which he was not entitled. In total, officials say Chinn obtained over $13,000 in COVID-19 pandemic CARES Act Iowa unemployment funds.
Officials say sentencing for Chinn will be held in Federal District Court in Sioux City after a presentence report is prepared. He remains free on bond pending sentencing.
Chinn faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
