Dee Ann Peters Given Probation For Defrauding WY Unemployment Division

A Casper woman will avoid prison time after admitting to filing unemployment claims when she was working.

Dee Ann Peters was given first time offender's status, along with one-to-five years of probation, after she pleaded guilty to one charge of obtaining benefits by fraud.

Agents with the State of Wyoming Special Investigation Unit say in July 2008, Peters started receiving unemployment checks.

An audit later showed she was employed from April through July of 2009, but she reported that she made no money during that time.

When Peters was contacted by the Unemployment Division, she said times and life were tough and added she felt entitled to the unemployment insurance benefits.

The Division then started sending over-payment notices, but they did not receive anything back from her.

Eventually, the SIU got involved and Peters said she made a mistake, wasn't thinking rationally at the time, and knew what she did was wrong.

She has also been ordered to pay more than $9,200 in restitution, some of which has already been paid.