Former Army Employee Sentenced for $108 Million Fraud

Janet Yamanaka Mello, a former Army civilian employee, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for defrauding the U.S. Army out of nearly $109 million intended for a youth development program for military families. As a financial program manager at Fort Sam Houston, she created a fraudulent organization called Child Health and Youth Lifelong Development (CHYLD) to siphon funds from the 4-H Military Partnership Grant program from December 2016 to August 2023. Mello's extravagant lifestyle included purchasing over 80 vehicles and more than 1,500 pieces of jewelry with the stolen money, which was meant to support military children. She pleaded guilty to ten counts, including mail fraud and filing false tax returns, and was found to have falsified documents and signatures to secure the funds. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza characterized her actions as a severe betrayal of trust, emphasizing the detrimental impact on military families. Mello's defense attorney stated that she expressed remorse and hopes to sell her purchased assets to reimburse the government.