As one of the strongest and most beloved institutions in the United States, it is hard to believe that anyone could fool the country’s military. However, it has been revealed that A Texas woman stole more than $100,000,000 in grants for a fake organization.
According to the criteria of
Janet Yamanaka Mello was indicted on five counts of fraud and five more for filing false tax returns.
The woman, 57 years old, She had worked as an employee of the Department of Children and Youth Services and Fort Sam Houston.
He was able to achieve his fraudulent operation because, between 2016 and 2023, he operated a business called Child Health and Youth Lifelong Development, through which applied for grants from the Army 4-H program.
According to the investigation to which the media had access Business Insider, The woman was able, for several years, to finance her luxurious lifestyle at the expense of the army. because it was responsible for approving grants for child care and other child-oriented programs.
But the foundation to which money was constantly allocated She had no other purpose than to receive the resources that she then used for her own benefit.
According to official documents, it is estimated that Mello used the money to buy 80 vehicles, more than 1,500 pieces of jewelry, clothing and real estate.
And according to the Department of Justice, approved 49 grants over a six-year period totaling US$108,917,749.
The woman was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
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How was the woman who was defrauding the army discovered?
According to a special agent in charge of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Houston field office, The reason why it was possible to identify Janet Yamanaka Mello’s fraudulent operations was precisely her extravagant life.
“We identified that their declared income was far below the luxury of the lifestyle he was carrying. As we uncovered the details, the criminal scheme grew, the dollar amount grew and the scope of his spending grew,” said Agent Lucy Tan.
The woman was charged with ten counts. Authorities condemned her actions as she did exactly the opposite of what it means to serve her country, which is why, She was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
