A Maplewood woman admitted Thursday to stealing more than $1.25 million for herself and others in COVID-19 relief money from government agencies.

Takara Hughes, 35, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis to wire fraud for submitting phony claims for unemployment benefits to state agencies in Minnesota and elsewhere.

Those agencies included the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and California Employment Development Department.

Hughes remains free on a personal recognizance bond ahead of sentencing Feb. 22.

The attorney for a co-defendant, 39-year-old Tequisha Solomon, of Las Vegas, told the court Wednesday that the defense and the prosecution are working toward resolving her case without a trial.

For example, according to prosecutors:

While Solomon and Hughes lived in Nevada or Minnesota, they falsely claimed they resided in Southern California, where they worked as hairstylists, and received at least $37,000 and $46,000, respectively, in state unemployment benefits.

Hughes and Solomon, who has lived in South St. Paul and Woodbury, also fraudulently applied for economic injury disaster and federal Paycheck Protection Program small-business loans by falsely claiming they owned cleaning service businesses.

They also submitted fraudulent claims on behalf of other people and charged them a fee to do so.

Solomon reportedly cost the federal government and several state agencies at least $4.1 million for alleged false claims. Hughes reportedly was paid $1,25 million for herself and others.

PAUL WALSH