Texas Man Gets 15 Months for Stealing Kids’ Lunch Money

LITTLE ROCK, AR – Waymon Weeams, 37, of Rockwall, Texas, is trading comfort for concrete after being sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for his role in a brazen scheme to siphon funds earmarked for feeding hungry children in Arkansas. Judge Kristine G. Baker delivered the sentence today, along with a two-year supervised release and a hefty $697,236.41 restitution order. The feds say Weeams wasn’t just negligent; he actively conspired to commit wire fraud, pleading guilty back on October 4, 2016.

The scam centered around the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) feeding programs, administered in Arkansas by the Department of Human Services (DHS). Sponsors like Weeams are supposed to apply for approval, then provide meals to low-income kids, getting reimbursed for every legitimate plate served. Weeams fronted an organization called “SJ&B Outreach” and claimed to be feeding a staggering 872 children daily across three sites in Wynne, Forrest City, and Marianna. The reality? According to court documents, no children were fed at the Forrest City location, and the other two sites saw a meager 10 to 50 kids, if that.

Weeams didn’t act alone. He was recruited by Anthony Waits, and the plot thickened when it was revealed Waits’s wife, Gladys Waits, worked for DHS and conveniently approved Weeams’s application. A tidy 40% cut of the $697,236.41 in fraudulently obtained funds flowed directly to Anthony Waits. This wasn’t a mistake; it was a calculated, cold-hearted operation preying on a program designed to help the most vulnerable.

Weeams is now the 15th defendant sentenced in this sprawling case. Others already behind bars include Kattie Jordan (63 months), Reuben Nims (21 months), Tonique Hatton (108 months), James Franklin (24 months), Maria Nelson (30 months), Michael Lee (30 months), Christopher Nichols (3 years probation), Gladys Waits (108 months), Alexis Young (18 months), Erica Warren (18 months), Francine Leon (34 months), Anthony Waits (175 months), Jacqueline Mills (150 months), and Dorothy Harper (33 months). The sentences demonstrate the federal government is taking these crimes seriously.

The investigation is far from over. Debora Washington is slated to be arraigned next week on conspiracy and fraud charges. Elbert Harris and Nigel Hall have already pleaded guilty to related offenses and are awaiting sentencing. The USDA–Office of Inspector General, IRS–Criminal Investigations, and the FBI are continuing to dig, looking for anyone else involved in this sickening scheme. Assistant United States Attorneys Jana Harris, Allison W. Bragg, and Cameron McCree are prosecuting the case.

If you have information about fraudulent activity related to these feeding programs, the DOJ wants to hear from you. Send details to USAARE.FeedingProgramFraud@usdoj.gov. These programs are a lifeline for struggling families, and anyone who exploits them for personal gain will face the full weight of the law.

RELATED: Homietos Motorcycle Gang Crushed

RELATED: Valley Predators Nabbed in Sting