A version of this story appeared in the Threat Status newsletter from The Washington Times. Click here to receive Threat Status delivered directly to your inbox each Wednesday.
A criminal trial is set to begin next month in Texas in the case of a government employee accused of bilking the Army out of more than $100 million intended to assist military service members and their families.
Federal prosecutors in San Antonio said Janet Yamanaka Mello, 57, regularly submitted fraudulent paperwork stating that an organization she controlled, Child Health and Youth Lifelong Development, was entitled to receive funds from the Army. But the bogus organization didn’t provide any services to the Army.
Ms. Mello was a civilian financial manager at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio.
“Mello instead used the funds to buy millions of dollars in jewelry, clothing, vehicles and real estate,” prosecutors said last month when she was indicted. “Additionally, Mello is alleged to have falsified the digital signature of one of her supervisors on multiple occasions.”
She is charged with five counts of mail fraud, four counts of engaging in a monetary transaction over $10,000 using criminally derived proceeds and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Ms. Mello, whose trial will start Feb. 12, faces a maximum prison term of 180 years if convicted on all charges.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.