Kent woman pleads guilty to stealing more than $150,000 from state child care program

A 33-year-old Kent woman pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in Seattle to conspiracy to commit theft of government funds and misuse of a social security number.

Janice Mann-Wilson, conspired with others to submit false information to the Washington Department of Social and Health Services when she worked as a financial services specialist for the agency, according to a media release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Seattle.

Mann-Wilson trained a co-worker in the scheme to help collect more than $150,000 in payments for child care services that were never provided.

The Kent woman faces up to five years in prison a $250,000 fine. She is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 3 by Chief U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik.

Mann-Wilson was employed from 2006 through January 2008 at the Ballard Community Services office of DSHS, according to case records. From May 2007, until she was terminated in January 2008, Mann-Wilson conspired to embezzle federal funds from the Working Connections Child Care Program. She involved a co-worker as well as friends and relatives in the scheme.

In essence, Man-Wilson entered false information into the data base indicating that child care services were being provided in order to obtain checks for the child care. In some instances, she used the social security numbers of children living out of state or used false social security numbers or created fictitious children in order to obtain government checks.

Mann-Wilson had the checks mailed to her sister’s home and then distributed them to the co-conspirators. The co-conspirators were paid for child care services they never provided and gave a share of the money to Mann-Wilson.

In some instances, Mann-Wilson and her co-conspirators claimed the child receiving care had “special needs” so the payment rate was increased. One conspirator was paid nearly $30,000 for care to a non-existent child. All told $156,728 was embezzled in the scheme.

The case came to light when there was a falling out between the co-conspirators, and an anonymous letter was sent to DSHS alerting investigators to the fraudulent scheme.

The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the Seattle Police Department investigated the case.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read.