A Chicago-area childcare tycoon's empire crumbled as she was slapped with a four-year federal prison stint for bilking the State of Illinois out of a hefty $3.3 million in subsidies meant for low-income families. Aleesha McDowell, the owner of several child care centers including A&A Kiddy Kollege and Kreative Kidz Academy, was proven to have orchestrated a fraudulent plot to rake in state cash from 2012 to 2020, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois.
By cooking up fake employment details, McDowell and her cronies ensnared the Illinois Department of Human Services Child Care Assistance Program in a web of deceit. She had directors of her centers and others lob in applications packed with lies, like fraudulent paystubs and income verification letters, to falsely fulfill the requirements of employment for subsidy eligibility.
This con was costly, leading to more than $3.3 million illicitly funneled into McDowell's pockets over nearly a decade. The funds, meant as a lifeline for struggling families, instead bankrolled luxury items such as a Bentley Bentayga and a house in Mokena, Ill., for the now-convicted scammer, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois.
In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah hammered McDowell with an order to repay the full swindled amount of $3,339,563 last March 27. McDowell's remorse was showcased last year when she pleaded guilty to a federal wire fraud charge. Her cohorts, including seven other defendants implicated in the investigation, also took a hit, having pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, the case was sealed by the persistent efforts of law enforcement agencies, with Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, along with higher-ups from the FBI, IRS, and U.S. Department of Agriculture, overseeing the prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate McClelland and Brian Hayes were credited with adeptly representing the government and seeing justice served.
