Feds: Woman defrauded state

Mokena resident accused of bilking Illinois child care assistance program of more than $300,000

A Mokena woman who owns day care centers in the south suburbs and Chicago is accused of defrauding a state program that assisted low-income families with child care costs, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago.

The fraud took place over eight years, through this September, and netted more than $6.1 million, according to the indictment.

The centers’ owner, 41-year-old Aleesha McDowell, used some of the money to buy a car costing more than $85,000 and to put a $257,000 down payment on her house in Mokena, authorities allege

McDowell owned A & A Kiddy Kollege in Calumet City and Calumet Park, and three locations of Kreative Kidz Academy in Chicago, according to the indictment.

McDowell is charged with 12 counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering.

Also charged with wire fraud are Sean Blunt, 44, of Matteson, Lauren Coley, 40, of Phoenix, Arizona, Shavon Johnson, 47, of Country Club Hills, Janelle Jordan, 40, of Chicago, Nicole Lacey, 36, of Burnham and Stacy Sims, 43, of Chicago.

Coley, Jordan, Lacey and Sims worked as directors at the five centers, according to the indictment.

McDowell and the others are alleged to have defrauded the Child Care Assistance Program operated by the Illinois Department of Human Services.

The program provides subsidies to child care providers and applicants are required to submit qualifying paperwork such as pay stubs or income verification letters.

In some instances, the defendants filed fraudulent pay stub or income verification information, and falsified information about the number of days and hours children attended the day care centers in order to boost subsidies, according to the indictment.

The government is seeking forfeiture of a 2017 Bentley Bentayga McDowell purchased in early September 2016, allegedly with proceeds of the fraud, as well as a 10,000-square-foot home purchased in July 2017.

Blunt, Jordan, Johnson, Lacey and Sims have made initial appearances on the charges and pleaded not guilty, according to court filings. An arraignment for Coley is scheduled for Wednesday.

It was not clear whether McDowell had made an initial court appearance. She did not return messages seeking comment.

The indictment was initially filed Nov. 5 and placed under seal, then unsealed Nov. 23 following the filing of a motion by prosecutors.

Arrest warrants were issued for the defendants shortly after the indictment was filed.