A woman has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for stealing more than $100 million from a grant program meant to support military children and families, authorities said.
Janet Yamanaka Mello, 57, was convicted on five counts of mail fraud in addition to five counts of filing a false tax return for the convoluted scheme, which she carried out over the course of six years while employed by the United States Army, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
Mello worked as a financial manager for the Army Morale, Welfare, and Recreation program at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, specifically focusing on child and youth services, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
