A Little Rock man was sentenced Thursday to 27 months in federal prison for his role in a scheme that defrauded a government program intended to feed Arkansas children in low-income areas.
Prentice Nigel Hall, 49, pleaded guilty a year ago to a charge of conspiring to commit wire fraud, admitting that he falsely claimed to operate four food-providing sites in Little Rock, North Little Rock, Mabelvale and Woodson in 2012 and 2013 through an organization called Creative Minds.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture food-providing programs are administered in Arkansas through the state Department of Human Services, through which would-be sponsors apply to operate approved food-providing sites. Once approved, the sponsors are then reimbursed for the meals they serve.
Hall admitted submitting fraudulent claims to the Department of Human Services in which he claimed to have fed more children than were actually fed. He submitted claims that he had fed up to 846 children a day at some of his sites, but at two of those sites, no children were fed. At a third location, fewer than 50 children were fed, according to the U.S. attorney's office.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Leon Holmes sentenced Hall to the prison term, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $882,657.95 in restitution.
He was the 17th person to be sentenced in a scheme to fraudulently obtain USDA program funds intended to feed children in low-income areas.
In addition to those who have already been sentenced since the first three people were indicted in late 2014, three people are still awaiting sentencing in the Eastern District of Arkansas.
Meanwhile, the investigation remains ongoing. It is being conducted by the USDA-Office of Inspector General and the FBI.
Metro on 02/22/2019