Minnesota business owner accused of public assistance fraud

Mar. 22—LE CENTER — Charges filed Wednesday allege a Le Center woman operated her own business while claiming to be unemployed in order to wrongfully obtain public assistance benefits.

Shanda Marie Wohlers, 44, was charged with a felony for unemployment insurance benefits fraud, a felony for wrongfully obtaining assistance, and four felonies for perjury Wednesday in Le Sueur County District Court.

A criminal complaint states one charge against Wohlers stems from her knowingly failing to disclose she was self-employed or operating her own business, Total Surface Restoration Services, between May 2020 and September 2021. Le Sueur County Sheriff's Office investigators say she was spending income from the business on her personal debt, while also receiving about $35,346 in supplemental and pandemic unemployment benefits.

A second charge is from September 2019 to the present, according to the complaint, alleging she concealed income from the business in order to receive various public assistance benefits totaling $17,245. She reportedly wouldn't have been eligible for the assistance if she truthfully reported her income.

On June 15, 2020, and May 6, 2022, the complaint adds, Wohlers attested she was unemployed in formal documentation required by law. The complaint states these were false statements because she was operating her business at the time and didn't disclose income and revenue from it, leading to two of the perjury charges.

The third and fourth perjury charges are related to alleged false statements on other required documentation on May 13, 2022, and between September 2019 and February 2022. Wohlers reportedly attested her gross and net income were "0.00" and her business also had no income.

Her first appearance in court is scheduled for May 2.

Follow Brian Arola @BrianArola

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