Iowa Woman Accused of Obtaining $48K in Welfare Benefits from Minnesota

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- The Olmsted County Attorney’s Office has filed felony charges against an Iowa woman accused of obtaining welfare benefits from the State of Minnesota. 

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A fraud prevention investigator with Olmsted County Department of Family Support and Assistance began investigating the case last November. 

The Cresco woman was charged in the case on Tuesday. 

Cresco, IA Woman Accused of Fraudulently Obtaining $48K in Public Assistance

59-year-old Jeanette Louise Finley is charged with one count of wrongfully obtaining assistance and three counts of false declaration for public assistance. 

The charges say Finley’s EBT card had been, “flagged for a suspiciously large number of purchases occurring outside Minnesota.” 

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Finley claimed to be residing at a home on Center St. in Rochester.

She is alleged to have applied for SNAP, cash assistance, emergency assistance and medical assistance from December of 2024 through June of last year using the Rochester address. 

See Also: Wisconsin Man Accused of Obtaining Minnesota Welfare Benefits 

The court document indicates she was approved for the assistance in Olmsted County and obtained $48,466.37 in public assistance from November of 2024 through last November. 

Investigation Uncovers Fraud

Finley’s benefits were terminated in January after an investigation indicated she had been living in Cresco, IA, the complaint says. 

The owner of the property Finley claimed to be living at indicated she had never rented from him, according to the court document. 

Finley is being charged by summons. She’s scheduled to make her first court appearance in September.