A former state worker in Illinois has been charged with stealing greater than $1.6 million that was alleged to go towards foster little one care. In paperwork just lately launched by federal prosecutors, she stated she used a lot of her ill-gotten cash to play slot machines at a neighborhood on line casino.
Former planner for the Division of Youngsters and Household Providers (DCFS), Seantel Purgeon, 54, of Chicago, has been charged with fraud in offering sincere providers, in accordance with paperwork launched this week.
She was launched on the acknowledgment of United States Justice of the Peace Justice Beth Jantz herself. Ms. Purgeon subsequent seems in federal court docket on June 5, however she has but to defend herself within the case.
Officers allege that Mr. Prijohn frequented unnamed casinos, performed slots there, and misplaced tens of millions of {dollars} in reference to the scheme.
From January 2015 to November 2022, Prigeon spent a complete of $3.7 million on the on line casino, in accordance with court docket information. He earned $1.7 million playing, greater than $2.2 million misplaced on on line casino flooring over seven years.of Chicago solar occasions.
Since no less than 2016, greater than 15 childcare staff have reportedly paid a complete of $1.6 million to Prijohn and his partner’s private financial institution accounts underneath the scheme, in accordance with studies. USA At present.
These funds are described as “bribes”. USA At present Ready studies and guided suppliers to assign favorable childcare contracts.
Below the plan, the supplier paid about half of the DCFS cost to Prigeon after it acquired it, in accordance with FBI investigators’ findings.
“Most of those particular person funds to Prigeon have been made by suppliers on the identical time that DCFS was paying suppliers for childcare providers,” it stated. solar occasions Citations from court docket paperwork additional clarify.
Prijon was capable of give you this plan as a result of, as a part of her work with DCFS, she authorized childcare suppliers for youngsters assigned to state companies.
scheme detected
However in August of final yr, Prigeon’s superiors started noticing one thing uncommon.
Prigeon authorized childcare staff, who have been paid about $280,000. Nevertheless, childcare providers weren’t supplied for a number of years. solar occasions report.
When supervisors requested for the information to elucidate what occurred, Ms. Prejohn stated the recordsdata have been lacking, in accordance with the report. solar occasions.
Information yanked by Pridgeon
The boss then instructs one other worker to search for associated recordsdata. Earlier than the second employee returned with the papers, Prigion insisted on going to the toilet, however as an alternative bumped into the file room, the place he grabbed information from one other employee. solar occasions report.
Pridgeon is claimed to have thrown the document within the trash. They have been later recovered.
The supervisor known as the Illinois Inspector Normal’s Workplace and the Illinois State Police to unravel the conspiracy. By November, FBI brokers had additionally launched an investigation.
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