9/1/11 Woman who took unemployment in incarcerated husband's name gets six months

  • By Nick Sabo
  • September 1, 2011
  • 307
                        
SUMMARY: Judge orders $4,284 restitution to unemployment agency A Big Prairie woman who continued to take unemployment checks in the name of her incarcerated husband was sentenced to jail time Thursday Sept. 1. Nancy S. Moorhead, 44, 9065 Township Road 1042, was sentenced by Holmes County Common Pleas Court Judge Robert D. Rinfret to 180 days in jail on one count of petty theft, a first-degree misdemeanor. The charge stems from 2010, when Moorhead’s husband, John S. Moorhead, 49, last known address 9065 Township Road 1042, Big Prairie, was incarcerated for domestic violence. According to Prosecuting Attorney Steve Knowling, Moorhead was collecting unemployment when he was sentenced to to one year in prison by former Common Pleas Judge Thomas D. White July 22, 2009. The domestic violence conviction made John Moorhead ineligible for unemployment. The charge against John Moorhead stemmed from a domestic altercation between himself and Nancy Moorhead. Nancy Moorhead continued to collect and cash the unemployment checks, however. Nancy Moorhead was employed at the time. The total of the checks is reported at $4,284. Moorhead has made $445 in restitution so far. Nancy Moorhead’s attorney, David Knowlton, said Nancy used the checks to cover transportation costs and make payments on John Moorhead’s car. “Nancy barely had enough to cover her bills,” Knowlton said. “With her husband gone” she had no additional means of support, Knowlton said. Rinfret said he was bothered by the fact that Nancy Moorhead was drawing from funds for out of work persons while she was employed. “A lot of people are having trouble right now and you stole from this fund,” Rinfret said. “This is a $4,000 debt you owe (taxpayers).” Prosecuting Attorney Steve Knowling said unemployment balked at prosecuting the case. “The strange thing about this is we had to fight the state tooth and nail,” Knowling said. “They did not want us to collect this debt. We had to strong-arm them to get the records.” Rinfret granted Nancy Moorhead work release so she can continue to pay restitution. Moorhead was originally charged with theft by deception, a fifth-degree felony. The charge was reduced in exchange for her guilty plea.


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