A Texas woman has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to stealing $109 million from a youth development programed aimed at the children of military families.
57-year-old Janet Yamanaka Mello was accused of using the stolen funds to fund an "extravagant lifestyle," according to the Dallas Morning News, which included purchasing multiple mansions, a fleet of luxury cars, and designer accessories.
As a civilian, Mello was employed at Fort Houston in San Antonio, working as a financial manager who handled funding for a youth program at the military base and determined whether grant money.
Prosecutors say Mello created a fraudulent group called Child Health and Youth Lifelong Development. She pled guilty to five counts of mail fraud and five counts of filing a false tax return.
Court records showed that Mello used the money to purchase millions of dollars of real estate, clothing, high-end jewelry and 82 vehicles that included a Maserati, a Mercedes, a 1954 Corvette and a Ferrari Fratelli motorcycle. She also purchased $923,000 of jewelry in a single day in 2022.
The defense has no plans to appeal.
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