⏱ 2 min read
A brazen scam left Missouri kids hungry while lining the pockets of St. Louis nonprofit exec Cymone McClellan, 33. The cunning con artist bilked the state out of $2.3 million in student meal funds from January 2019 to June 2022.
Mcclellan, who ran the Sister of Lavender Rose (S.O.L.R.) nonprofit, submitted false reimbursement claims for 860,876 meals, claiming they fed low-income kids. But investigators found she only purchased food and milk for a quarter of those meals.
McClellan’s partner in crime, Terra Davis, 44, helped her submit fake plans and attendance sheets to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The state, unaware of the scam, allowed the nonprofit to operate a drive-thru meal service during the COVID-19 pandemic.
U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel handed down a 41-month prison sentence, ordering McClellan to forfeit her ill-gotten gains, including vehicles and real estate.
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📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Defendant: Missouri
- Location: MO
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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