Urbana, IL (WAND) – An Urbana woman and former Champaign County Board member representing District 11 has been indicted by a federal grand jury on three counts of wire fraud after being accused of defrauding the U.S. Department of Labor and Illinois Department of Employment Security during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Titianna Ammons was accused of committing fraud between October 2020 and October 2021.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Ammons applied for and received unemployment insurance benefits from around October 24, 2020, until around September 10, 2021. Starting in January 2021, They said Ammons unemployment insurance benefits included about $300 extra per week in Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation benefits that were authorized and paid in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The indictment alleges that during that time, Ammons was working for and receiving money from various entities, including as an elected District 11 representative on the Champaign County Board.
They said Ammons falsely certified to the Illinois Department of Employment Security that she did not work and did not get any wages while receiving benefits.
Ammons is the daughter of State Representative Carol Ammons and Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons. She resigned from the Champaign County Board in August 2021.
She was served with a summons to appear in federal court in Urbana for arraignment on June 11, 2026.
If convicted, the maximum statutory penalties for each of the crimes charged are a maximum of 30 years in prison, a max of five years probation, and a max $1 million fine, and restitution.
