Tarnavis Lee, aged 42, from Burbank, Illinois, is found guilty of mail fraud, wire fraud, and cash laundering and sentenced to imprisonment on March 2, 2022, for 3 years. The sentence was sanctioned after proving that Lee was involved with Demetra Jackson and Elizabeth McFarland in defrauding the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS). The defrauding involved scamming the Child Care Assistance Program to provide financial support to low-income parents.
The details of the fraud that happened
Together with Jackson and McFarland, Lee filed false and fraudulent claims to the DHS for childcare services that were not supplied or were not given to the level claimed between January 2009 and April 2019. Lee also paid a total of $158,000 in kickback payments to parents who took part in the scam. They paid the amount in return for providing their and children’s personal information that can be used to submit false and fraudulent childcare claims to DHS. Lee created this scheme which caused a loss of $913390.66 to DHS.
The government and law on a case
Senior United States District Judge Richard Mills ordered Lee to pay $913,390.66 in restitution to the Illinois Department of Human Services, as well as $125,000.00 in reparations to each co-defendant, Jackson, and McFarland. At sentencing, the prosecution contended that Lee’s greed and her actions. The fraud included years-long and sophisticated plans to defraud DHS and its childcare program. The consequent huge loss to the DHS of more than $900,000 deserved a lengthy prison term.
Indiction and pleading guilty on case
On October 7, 2020, Lee was indicted, and on September 7, 2021, he pled guilty. Jackson and McFarland, co-defendants, recently pled guilty to one count of wire fraud and are due in court on April 7, 2022, and April 12, 2022, respectively.
Lashonda Hudson pled guilty to wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a similar plot to defraud DHS in a different but connected case. She is due to be sentenced on April 22, 2022.
Penalties on such cases
As per the Department of Justice, mail and wire fraud carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Money laundering carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $500,000, or double the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is higher.
