Knoxville Woman Accused of Laundering COVID-19 Relief Funds via Bitcoin ATMs

A Knoxville woman is facing up to 20 years in prison for allegedly laundering COVID-19 unemployment relief funds through Bitcoin ATMs. Amy Denise Fields, a 62-year-old resident of Knoxville, was indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to commit money laundering and a substantive money laundering offense.

The indictment stems from an investigation by the United States Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General. According to the US Attorney's Office, during the pandemic, Fields and her unnamed partners allegedly used her name, home address, and bank accounts to apply for fake unemployment benefits from multiple states.

After the funds were deposited into her bank accounts, Fields withdrew them in cash and deposited the money into Bitcoin ATM machines across East Tennessee. This was done to conceal where the stolen funds came from, according to federal investigators.