A woman has robbed a millionaire from the US military to buy houses and luxury goods

A Texas woman stole nearly $109 million from the US military Have a life full of luxuries and extravagances. After several trials and a lengthy process, the fraudster was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison.

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According to investigations, the accused stole money from a grant scheme for military families He spent them on a collection of thirty properties in five North American states, more than 80 cars, expensive brand clothes and thousands of jewels.

The woman has been identified as Janet Yamanaka Mello, 57, and has been stealing from the program for six years. He pleaded guilty to five counts of procedural fraud and filing a false tax return.

How was the US military looted?

According to US media outlet USA Today, Mello was a civilian employee in the US Army and worked as a manager of financial programs for school, children and youth services. As part of her job, the woman determined whether funding would be available to various organizations that were part of the Army Association’s grant program.

The lawyers who investigated the case were found guilty He used a fraudulent business to apply for more than 40 grants through the program from December 2016 to August 2023.

Jaime Esparza, a lawyer for the victims, said the woman in a statement “Instead of using $109 million in federal funds to care for military children around the world, he selfishly stole that money to buy lavish homes, more than 80 vehicles and more than 1,500 pieces of jewelry.”

For her part, Maria Thomas, special agent in charge of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Texas Central Field Office, pointed out that this type of fraud puts the safety of soldiers and their families at risk. Additionally, it said it is committed to pursuing those who use these types of schemes for personal gain.

Lucy Tan, Special Agent in Charge of the Houston Field Office of Criminal Investigation, said. “Mello’s penchant for extravagance was what brought her down. We identified that her income fell far short of the lavish lifestyle she lived. As we uncovered the details, the criminal scheme grew, the dollar amount grew and the scope of their spending grew.

Finally, Dan pointed out, “There are victims of financial crimes, and this woman took advantage of the children and families of our military men and women.”

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