(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A Mokena woman who owned a number of local child care centers will now spend years in federal prison and has been ordered to pay millions of dollars to the state.
Between 2012 – 2020, 44-year-old Aleesha McDowell has been accused of swindling the Illinois Department of Human Services’ Child Care Assistance program out of more than $3 million.
While owning both A and A Kiddy Kollege Inc. in Calumet City and Kreative Kids Academy in Chicago, federal prosecutors said McDowell and her directors filed fraudulent applications for the program, claiming they were for parents of children at her facilities in need of financial assistance.
In reality, McDowell was accused of using the money to buy, among other things, a home in Mokena and a Bentley Bentayga — new models of which boasts an MSRP value of over $200,000.
She pleaded guilty to charges of federal wire fraud last year and has now been sentenced to four years in prison. She must also pay more than $3 million in restitution.
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