The Mississippi Department of Human Services issued the following statement.
A Leflore County, Miss. resident has been arrested for child care fraud following an investigation conducted by the Investigations Division of the Mississippi Department of Human Service (MDHS).
Investigators found that Towanda Ware, the owner/operator of Bright Beginnings Daycare and Bright Beginnings Daycare II, received monies through the childcare voucher program in the amount of $441,776.37 for children that did not attend the center from January 2017 to December 2019.
Due to the substantial amount of overpayment and the evidence of alleged fraud found during the investigation, the case was turned over to the Leflore County District Attorney’s Office. The case was presented to the Grand Jury for criminal prosecution. The Leflore County District Attorney secured an indictment on June 20, 2022, and Ware turned herself in to MDHS-OIG and Leflore County officials through her attorney on Thursday, July 14, 2022. As with any criminal case, an indictment is no evidence of guilt and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty at trial or by entry of guilty plea.
The case was investigated by Agent Jonathan Rider of the MDHS Investigations Division.
The Investigations Division is a subset of the MDHS Office of Inspector General (OIG), which was created in August 2018 and charged with detecting, preventing, and deterring fraud, waste, and abuse. OIG has been responsible for recovering millions in dollars collected from fraudulent overpayments.
“This investigation and ultimate prosecution demonstrates the controls we have in place to identify, investigate, and eliminate fraud in our programs,” MDHS Executive Director Robert G. “Bob” Anderson said. “This is also a great example of cooperation between our investigations team and local law enforcement.”
Suspected fraud can be reported to MDHS online any time by submitting the MDHS Fraud Tip Form at https://www.mdhs.ms.gov/
15 comments:
Phil stole more than that, when is he going to be charged!
Do you think any of the Barksdaler kiddios will report on this nearly half-million dollar thievery?
Tip of the iceburg in this corrupt taxpayer funded industry-
"Entitlements." That's the term the government throws around to refer to government concepts of social equality; i.e. "vouchers."
Think abouth that for a minute. Then think about the fraud that accompanies the attitude of deserving a handout from the government.
We have been, for awhile, a welfare society. The next steps in the process will be ugly.
WTF? You’re telling me those nearly uncountable “early learning academies” that pop up like tumors in run down former insurance offices might be tax shelters and fronts for fraud?
"Entitlements." That's the term the government throws around to refer to government concepts of social equality; i.e. "vouchers."
Imagine what a bonanza charter schools funded by taxpayer vouchers will be!
Oh boy, what did Brett Favre do this time?
All the people employed by MDHS in the counties and no one checked. I would be looking at the Directors and employees in Leflore County MDHS, someone knew this was going on! Too much monies was going out to these small daycare’s and no one noticed or checked!
Damn people do your damn jobs! Where are the Policies, Procedures and Controls are they being used?
Could be an insider involved from MDHS.
Just saying.
It’s not that easy to circumvent the systems/ controls in place at these agencies that prevent fraud. Is it just me being naive or ignorant to basic the accounting principles.
Let’s just have an Amnesty Day at MDHS and see who is really helping steal the Governments money! There has to be employees turning a blind eye.
We need a reward for Agency whistle blowers!
@2:43pm "We need a reward for Agency whistle blowers!"
They almost passed a law a few years ago, but it died in committee. I can't imagine why.
This was until 2019. She is still getting funds in 2022.
With the help of a MDHS employee!!!
If the person that owned the day care centers and did not have help from an MDHS employee then It’s just a case of MDHS not following their own procedures. However I can assume she did have assistance from an MDHS employee or employees! Follow the money and listen to the word on the street. Then go from there!
Just saying, people talk.
Towanda Ware the daycare owner was balling on DHS money! Sounds familiar! Just tell on the players at DHS and they may give you a deal.
Don’t go down alone Towanda.
500 grand.
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