Security

Knoxville woman accused of laundering unemployment benefits through bitcoin ATMs

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August 7, 2026

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A federal grand jury in Chattanooga, Tennessee, indicted Knoxville woman Amy Denise Fields, 62, for allegedly laundering COVID-19 unemployment insurance benefits. This cash was then deposited into bitcoin ATMs, according to areport by WVLT.

She, along with several unnamed partners, are accused of applying for fake unemployment benefits from several states using her name, address and bank accounts during COVID-19. Once the cash was withdrawn, it was deposited into bitcoin ATMs to conceal its origin.

If convicted, she could face up to 20 years in prison. Tennessee officially banned crypto ATMs from operating in the state in April 2026, becoming the second state to ban crypto ATMsafter Indiana.