CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The operator of Chicago-area child care centers and several of her employees are charged with fraudulently pocketing millions of dollars from a state program created to help low-income families afford child care.
Aleesha McDowell, who owned five child care facilities in the city and neighboring suburbs, is accused of plotting with four directors of her centers and others to defraud the Illinois Department of Human Services’ Child Care Assistance Program of more than $6.1 million.
The facilities McDowell owned include A&A Kiddy Kollege Inc. in Calumet City, A&A Kiddy Kollege 2 in Calumet Park, and Kreative Kidz Academy Inc., Kreative Kidz Academy II Inc., and Kreative Kidz Academy III Inc. in Chicago.
McDowell and her co-defendants allegedly committed the criminal acts between 2012 and 2020 by submitting and causing the submission of materially false information, including fraudulent paystubs and income verification letters, regarding a parent’s eligibility to qualify for state subsidy payments, the indictment stated.
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They also are accused of assisting parents in completing false IDHS applications that fraudulently caused the state to issue subsidy payments to the centers, the indictment alleges. As a result, the defendants caused IDHS to suffer a loss of at least $6.1 million, the indictment stated.
Of the several millions stolen, McDowell allegedly spent some of if on a 2017 Bentley Bentayga and a house in Mokena, Ill., according to the indictment.
McDowell, 41, of Mokena, is charged with 12 counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering. Also charged with wire fraud are Nicole Lacey, 36, of Burnham, Ill., who worked as director at AAKK and AAKK-2 (10 counts); Stacy Sims, 43, of Chicago, director at KKA-2 (two counts); Janelle Jordan, 40, of Chicago, director at KKA-3 (three counts); Lauren Coley, 40, of Phoenix, Ariz., director at AAKK and KKA (two counts); Shavon Johnson, 47, of Country Club Hills, Ill. (four counts); and Sean Blunt, 44, of Matteson, Ill. (two counts).
The indictment was ordered unsealed on Monday. Most of the defendants have made initial appearances in federal court in Chicago.