(FixThisNation.com) – A U.S. Army employee has been accused of theft of over $100 million in military funds. Janet Yamanaka Mello created a fake business in 2016 while working at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas as a program manager for civilian financial matters.
Over the years, she would falsify receipts and expenditures relating to her business “Child Health and Youth Lifelong Development” which was supposedly aimed at assisting military children through the 4-H Military Partnership Grant Program.
However, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Mello had stolen funds and used them to enrich herself. Allegedly, Mello had stolen over $100 million through the submission of fraudulent paperwork which indicated that one of the entities she had controlled would have been eligible to receive army funds.
In the federal complaint, it is noted that the 4-H program is meant to provide “youth development opportunities” for children with a connection to the military.
Once the application had been submitted, it would get approved by her supervisor and Mello would be directed to a UPS store mailbox that she could use to send the funds. However, rather than distributing the funds she would instead deposit the check in her bank account.
Mello’s fraudulent activities have been ongoing for over six years. During that time she completed over forty such transactions, totaling more than $100 million for herself.
Federal prosecutors have noted that Mello had then spent the money on vehicles, jewelry, and real estate. Over the six years, she allegedly purchased over 31 pieces of real estate in Washington, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, and Maryland.
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