An Arkansas woman was sentenced Wednesday to more than 12 years in prison for her role in a scheme to steal millions of dollars intended to feed children in low-income areas, authorities said.
Jacqueline Mills, 42, of Helena-West Helena, was convicted of 39 different counts, including, include wire fraud, bribery and money laundering, in April, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas said in a news release.
Mills reportedly operated 34 sites providing meals as part of a U.S. Department of Agriculture program. Her trial proved she submitted inflated numbers of meals served, and in some cases, no meals were served at all, the release said.
Mills was sentenced to 150 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay more than $3 million in restitution and forfeit multiple properties, according to the news release from U.S. Attorney Cody Hiland.
Anthony Waits, Mills' co-defendant, was sentenced to 14½ years Oct. 19, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette previously reported.
"Mills and Waits stole millions of dollars intended for disadvantaged and hungry children in one of the most egregious examples of fraud this office has prosecuted," Hiland said.
Read Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
