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Texas woman convicted of embezzling nearly $109M from Army, sentenced to 15 years in prison


Janet Yamanaka Mello, a former Army civilian employee, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for stealing nearly $109 million from a grant program designed to benefit military children and families. Mello used a fraudulent business to obtain grant funds from the program, which she spent on luxury items like jewelry, clothing, vehicles, and real estate. She pleaded guilty to five counts of mail fraud and five counts of filing false tax returns.

Mello, who worked at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, deceived her supervisors and co-workers by fabricating approval documents and submitting them to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service for payment. She repeated this process 49 times over a six-year period, requesting about $117 million in payments and receiving close to $109 million. Mello also failed to accurately report her income for tax years 2017-2022, omitting the millions she received fraudulently.

U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza condemned Mello’s actions, stating that she selfishly stole money intended for military children to fund her extravagant lifestyle. Maria Thomas, special agent in charge for the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Central Texas Field Office, emphasized that corruption and fraud schemes in the Army put soldiers and their families at risk. The IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office also highlighted the impact of financial crimes on military families, noting that Mello’s fraudulent activities deprived them of resources and opportunities.

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www.usatoday.com

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