Alex Welke
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — A Wausau man accused of lying to claim unemployment benefits from the state of Wisconsin skipped a court appearance on Monday, triggering a warrant for his arrest.
Alex Welke is accused of claiming more than $10,000 in unemployment benefits over an 11-month window from May 2020 to April 2021 while he was jailed, a Class G felony.
Those who serve more than two days in jail during the week are not eligible for unemployment benefits. Investigators also say the 31-year-old misrepresented his self-employment status on the forms. All told, he received nearly $21,000 in benefits through the alleged fraud.
Welke was scheduled for a court appearance on Monday morning. Court records indicate he failed to appear, leading the judge to issue a bench warrant for his arrest. A bond forfeiture hearing was then scheduled for December 18th.
Court records show that Welke was found guilty of felony forgery in August 2024 and received a withheld sentence. He was also found guilty of criminal burglary and trespassing in 2023 and has multiple OWIs on his record.
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