{"id":2146907,"date":"2024-01-11T18:14:02","date_gmt":"2024-01-11T23:14:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/con-artist-accused-of-stealing-over-100m-from-army-to-buy-jewelry-clothing-vehicles-real-estate\/"},"modified":"2024-01-11T18:15:09","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T23:15:09","slug":"con-artist-accused-of-stealing-over-100m-from-army-to-buy-jewelry-clothing-vehicles-real-estate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/con-artist-accused-of-stealing-over-100m-from-army-to-buy-jewelry-clothing-vehicles-real-estate\/","title":{"rendered":"Con Artist&#8217; Allegedly Swindles $100M from Army for Luxuries"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcon-artist-accused-of-stealing-over-100m-from-army-to-buy-jewelry-clothing-vehicles-real-estate%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2146907&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo \u2064via: Federal Court Documents)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>OAN\u2019s Abril Elfi<\/h2>\n<h3>3:12 PM\u2064 \u2013 Thursday, January 11, 2024<\/h3>\n<p>A woman in Texas has been accused of <strong>stealing over $100 million<\/strong> in \u200cfunds from the United States Army and\u2062 using the money to buy luxurious personal items.<\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1663871513696-art-3\" style=\"min-width: 320px; min-height: 50px; text-align: center;\">  \t<script>  \t\tgoogletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1663871513696-art-3'); });  \t<\/script>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"ad-slot__ad-label\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-wdtx\/pr\/army-civilian-employee-indicted-san-antonio-alleged-100-million-fraud-scheme\">According to\u2063 a Wednesday press release that \u2064was posted by the Department of Justice<\/a>, 57-year-old\u2062 Janet Yamanaka Mello now faces more than 140 \u2064years in prison. Mello previously created a phony business called \u201cChild Health and Youth Lifelong Development\u201d in order to illegally save funds that she had stolen from the Army.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cMello [allegedly] stole more than $100 million in Army funds by regularly submitting fraudulent paperwork that indicated an entity she \u200ccontrolled was entitled to\u2062 receive funds from the Army,\u201d \u200bthey stated. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote data-service=\"twitter\" data-category=\"marketing\" data-placeholder-image=\"https:\/\/c3.oann.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/complianz-gdpr\/assets\/images\/placeholders\/twitter-minimal.jpg\" class=\"cmplz-placeholder-element twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">REPORT: U.S. Army employee Janet Yamanaka Mello has been indicted after she allegedly stole $100 *million* from \u200bthe United States Army.<\/p>\n<p>Insane.<\/p>\n<p>Mello was reportedly able to gather $100 million with\u2064 fraudulent paperwork before\u200d authorities noticed.<\/p>\n<p>Mello then used the money to\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/lVSW7A57Ik\">pic.twitter.com\/lVSW7A57Ik<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CollinRugg\/status\/1745509284769882233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 11, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script type=\"text\/plain\" data-service=\"twitter\" data-category=\"marketing\" async data-cmplz-src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Mello created her \u2064fraudulent business\u200d Child Health and Youth Lifelong Development (CHYLD) in 2016 and claimed \u2063that it provided services to military members and their families through the\u200b 4-H program. <\/p>\n<p>According to reports, the 4-H Military program \u201cfocuses on positive youth development through providing opportunities for youth to engage in intentional \u200blearning\u2064 experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, the Internal Revenue Service \u200c(IRS) flagged Mello\u2019s company when she included it on her personal tax\u200b returns\u2064 in 2017, reporting a $483 \u200cprofit on a \u200b$2,152 revenue. Since 2017, she had not filed any taxes for CHYLD. <\/p>\n<p>Mello had purchased 31 different real estate properties in Colorado, Maryland, New Mexico, Texas, and Washington.<\/p>\n<p>One of her purchases was an \u2063eight-bedroom, twelve-bath\u200c mansion in Preston, Maryland, with 55 garage spaces on 58 acres, and it was \u200dappraised at $3.1 million,\u200b according to \u200dthe outlet.<\/p>\n<p>Another one of her costly\u2064 purchases involved a $2.3 million home with four bedrooms, six bathrooms, and 35 acres in Castle Rock, Colorado. <\/p>\n<p>In addition to the \u2063quantity of real estate Mello was\u200b acquiring, she also reportedly bought 78 cars, which included \u200da 1955 Ferrari Fratelli 165 Racer,\u2062 sixteen\u200c Harley-Davidsons, five Triumphs, four Ducatis, two \u2064BMWs, a 2018 Maserati\u200c GranTurismo, a 1954 Chevrolet Corvette, a 1966 Ford Mustang, five Mercedes-Benzes, and \u200ctwo Aston Martins.\u2063 <\/p>\n<p>According to authorities, they\u200b have also taken over six different\u2062 bank accounts connected to Mello that were holding $18 million altogether.  \u2062  <\/p>\n<p>In December, Mello was arrested and charged with five counts of\u2062 mail fraud, four counts of engaging \u2064in a\u2062 monetary transaction over $10,000 using criminally derived \u2062proceeds,\u2063 and one count of aggravated identity theft. <\/p>\n<p>Mello was later released without being granted bail, and the \u200bU.S. District Court for the Western District \u200bof Texas is currently\u2063 awaiting word\u2062 on whether she will accept a plea bargain by January 19<sup>th<\/sup> or proceed with a jury trial and selection on February 12<sup>th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n<p>If Mello is found guilty, she faces up to 142\u2064 years in prison.<\/p>\n<p>Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts \u2062directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oann.com\/alerts\">https:\/\/www.oann.com\/alerts<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"rc-widget-10bad2\" data-rc-widget data-widget-host=\"habitat\" data-endpoint=\"\/\/trends.revcontent.com\" data-widget-id=\"278641\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"dpsp-share-text\" style=\"margin-bottom:10px\"> \t\t \t\tShare this post!\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Secretary of State Antony Blinken is making \u200cthe rounds with Palestinian and Arab-Muslim leaders to make\u200d plans for the \u201cday after\u201d Israel\u2019s\u2062 war in Gaza concludes.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Long shot Republican Presidential Candidate Chris Christie drops \u2063out of the race.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>A Massive avalanche in California kills one skier while injuring others.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>The Consumer\u2063 Price Index report for December, released today, \u200creveals an \u200bannual\u2064 inflation increase of 3.4%, surpassing expectations.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Google is set to go before a federal jury in Boston\u200c on Tuesday over accusations that its processors infringe a\u2062 computer scientist\u2019s patents.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>OpenAI and its financial backer Microsoft were\u200c sued in Manhattan federal \u200bcourt by a pair of nonfiction\u2062 authors who say the\u200b companies misused their work\u200b to train the \u2062AI models behind AI-based services.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>SpaceX sued a \u200cU.S. labor board to block its case accusing the company\u2063 of illegally\u200d firing employees calling CEO Elon Musk \u201ca distraction and embarrassment.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>ChatGPT was well on\u2062 its way to becoming a household name even before 2023 kicked off.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> rnrn  <\/p>\n<h2> What actions\u2064 need to be taken by government agencies to prevent and detect fraudulent activities\u200b like Mello&#8217;s in the future<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Years in \u200dprison for her crimes. The\u2063 case highlights the importance of\u200c maintaining the integrity of government funds and the severe consequences for those who \u200dattempt to defraud the system.<\/p>\n<p>Janet\u2064 Yamanaka Mello, a 57-year-old woman from Texas, is \u200daccused \u2062of stealing over\u2062 $100 million from the United States Army and using the money to finance her lavish lifestyle. The Department of Justice has issued\u200b a press release detailing the allegations against her.<\/p>\n<p>According to the press\u200d release, Mello allegedly created a phony business called \u200c&#8221;Child Health and Youth Lifelong Development&#8221; in order to embezzle funds from the Army. She regularly\u200c submitted fraudulent paperwork indicating that her company was entitled to receive funds\u2062 from the Army. This scheme allowed her to steal millions of dollars over a period\u200d of time.<\/p>\n<p>Mello&#8217;s fraudulent activities were discovered when she included her company on her personal\u200c tax returns in 2017, \u2062reporting a suspiciously low profit. The IRS flagged her company, and it was revealed that\u200b she\u200b had not filed\u200b any taxes for CHYLD since\u2062 2017.<\/p>\n<p>Mello used the stolen money to make extravagant purchases. She acquired\u200c 31 real estate \u2064properties in various states, including an eight-bedroom\u2064 mansion in Maryland and \u2063a luxury home \u2063in\u2063 Colorado. She\u2062 also bought 78 cars, including rare and\u2062 expensive models \u2062such as a 1955 Ferrari\u200b and multiple Harley-Davidsons.<\/p>\n<p>Authorities have seized six bank \u2062accounts connected to Mello, containing \u2064a total of $18 million. \u200cMello was arrested in December and charged with mail fraud, engaging in \u2063monetary transactions with \u200dcriminally derived proceeds, and aggravated identity theft.<\/p>\n<p>Mello&#8217;s \u2063trial is pending, and she has the option to accept a\u200d plea bargain or proceed with a \u2064jury trial. If found guilty, she could face up to \u2063142 years\u200b in prison for her crimes.<\/p>\n<p>This\u2064 case serves as a reminder \u200dof the importance of safeguarding government funds and the \u200bsevere penalties for those who\u200c attempt to\u2062 defraud the system.\u200c It is crucial for organizations to have robust financial controls and oversight to \u2062prevent such misappropriation \u2062of funds.<\/p>\n<p>The United States Army and other government agencies must continue to be vigilant in ensuring the integrity of their financial systems and taking swift action against those who try\u200d to exploit them. Cases like this highlight the need for continuous monitoring\u200c and enforcement to protect taxpayer dollars.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, justice must prevail, and if \u200cJanet Yamanaka Mello is \u2064found guilty, she must be held accountable for her actions. The legal proceedings in this case \u200cwill determine \u200cthe outcome, and the \u2064severity of the charges reflects the gravity of the alleged\u200b crimes committed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Texan woman allegedly embezzled $100 million from the US Army, splurging on extravagant personal belongings. The Department released a press statement on Wednesday, revealing the shocking accusation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2196,"featured_media":2146908,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[542],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2146907","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-oann"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2146907","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2196"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2146907"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2146907\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2146908"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2146907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2146907"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2146907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}