2 women guilty in feeding fraud
U.S. says duo paid $253,000, but headcount of kids padded
Two central Arkansas women pleaded guilty Friday in federal court to conspiring to defraud a U.S. Department of Agriculture program intended to feed children in low-income areas during the school year.
The pleas of Erica Warren, 36, of Little Rock and Alexis Young, 37, of Bryant were the second and third guilty pleas in two days to fraud charges involving USDA programs designed to provide nutritious meals to low-income or at-risk children. On Thursday, a judge accepted a guilty plea from Francine Leon, 42, of Bryant.
Ten other people have been charged in feeding-program scams since December 2014, and two of them, Kattie L. Jordan of Dermott and Christopher Nichols of North Little Rock, pleaded guilty over the past several months. That leaves five people awaiting sentencing and eight awaiting trial.
Federal prosecutors said the feeding-program fraud has resulted in the theft of more than $10 million set aside to feed children.
In Arkansas, the USDA funds the feeding programs, which are administered by the state Department of Human Services. Sponsors who want to participate in the feeding programs must submit an application to the Department of Human Services for approval. Once approved, they can provide meals as part of the feeding program and be reimbursed based on the number of eligible meals they serve.
Friday’s guilty pleas were accepted by Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Miller. According to a news release from U.S. Attorney Chris Thyer, Warren was a sponsor for a feeding program through an organization called Write of Passage, while Young worked for the Department of Human Services. Part of Young’s job was to determine the eligibility of sponsors to participate in the feeding programs, and she was responsible for reviewing Warren’s approved sites in Little Rock.
The women admitted they formed Write of Passage for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining funds through the Child and Adult Care Feeding Program, which includes an at-risk, after-school component, according to Thyer. He said they inflated the number of children fed on claims they submitted to the Department of Human Services. As a result, Write of Passage was paid $253,817.44.
Warren and Young shared the proceeds of the inflated claims, Thyer said, noting that Warren paid Young cash and paid her indirectly with checks made payable to one of Young’s relatives.
The eight people awaiting trial on feeding-program fraud charges are Tonique Hatton of North Little Rock, Gladys King Waits and Anthony Waits, both of England; Jacqueline Mills of Helena-West Helena; Dortha M. Harper of England; Reuben Nims of Little Rock; Michael Lee of Little Rock; and Maria Carmen Nelson, who was arrested in September while working as a security officer at the federal administration building in Little Rock.
Under federal statutes, wirefraud conspiracy is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release.
The feeding-program fraud investigation is ongoing by the USDA Office of Inspector General, the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigations and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Thyer asked that anyone who is aware of any fraudulent activity regarding the feeding programs email that information to USAARE. FeedingProgramFraud@usdoj.gov.