A Findlay woman will have to pay back more than $120,000 to a state agency after pleading guilty to grand theft.
Rochelle McCoy, 47, appeared Tuesday in the courtroom of Wood County Common Pleas Judge Matt Reger.
She was indicted in August for grand theft, a fourth-degree felony. She was also indicted for money laundering, three counts of tampering with records and two counts identity fraud, which are all third-degree felonies.
McCoy pleaded guilty Tuesday to grand theft, identity fraud and two counts of tampering with records. The remaining charges will be dismissed at sentencing.
As part of the plea deal, she must pay $120,742 in restitution to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, said Wood County Prosecuting Attorney Brian Boos.
Reger said he could impose 18 months in prison for the theft charge and 36 months for each of the remaining charges.
He said prison is neither mandatory nor presumed and the sentence will most likely be community control because there is a request for restitution.
Boos said that Ohio Rep. Haraz Ghanbari had reported receiving a message from McCoy that her COVID relief funds had been suspended. Another woman reported the same thing, but that it appeared to be McCoy’s voice, he said.
Boos said an investigation was started for possible COVID relief fraud.
Investigations showed that the second woman was a family member and that a third person, another family member, also had requested COVID relief funds, Boos said.
All three funds were directed into the same bank account, which was held by McCoy, he said, and there is no evidence the other family members ever used the money.
McCoy would withdraw the money as soon as it was deposited, he said.
The female family member said she never used COVID money, and the second family member was incarcerated so he wouldn’t qualify, Boos said.
The offenses happened between Feb. 8, 2020, and June 12, 2021, he said.
Sentencing was set for Sept. 12.
