SAN ANTONIO - A Texas woman working as a civilian financial program manager at Fort Sam Houston Army Base is facing 10 counts related to fraud for allegedly stealing more than $100 million in Army funds. Court documents say she used that money for purchasing property, including one estate in Caroline County, Md.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas, 57-year-old San Antonio woman Janet Mello allegedly stole more than $100 million in Army funds. The office says she regularly submitted fraudulent paperwork that indicated an entity she controlled was entitled to receive funds from the Army. The business, called Child Health and Youth Lifelong Development, was claimed to have provided services to military members and their families, though the indictment alleges Mello used the funds to instead buy millions of dollars in real estate, vehicles, jewelry and clothing.
According to court documents provided to CoastTV News by the Texas Department of Justice, the United States of America sought the forfeiture of this property. Included were 78 vehicles from brands like Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover, Corvette, Aston Martin, Harley-Davidson, Tesla and more. There were also six Bank of America accounts and 31 properties, including three addresses in Preston, Md.
According to the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation and Zillow, it sold in August with Zillow specifying the sale was for $3.1 million. The home has eight bedrooms and 16 bathrooms.
In December, Mello was charged with five counts of mail fraud, four counts of engaging in a monetary transaction over $10,000 using criminally derived proceeds and one count of aggravated identity theft.