Alex Welke
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — A Wausau man facing accusations of unemployment fraud is facing new charges for retail theft.
Court records show Alex Welke is now facing a felony count for stealing items valued between $5,000 and $10,000. The charges were filed on December 26th. Welke made an appearance that same day, pleading not guilty to the charge.
He was then released on a $1,000 signature bond after putting the first $150 down in cash. The bond includes a full no-contact order with three people, identified by their initials, and Wal-Mart.
The accusations came as the 31-year-old was the subject of a bench warrant for unrelated charges of unemployment fraud. In that case, he’s accused of claiming thousands in unemployment benefits while he was jailed. He’s also accused of misrepresenting his self-employment status and income on the forms.
Those who spend more than two days in jail are not eligible to receive unemployment payments for that week. Investigators say the scheme ran for 11 months, from May 2020 to April ’21.
Welke failed to show for a hearing on those charges on November 24th, at which time a judge ordered a bench warrant for him.
The two cases have been tied together. He’s due back in court on January 8th for a scheduling conference.
Comments