The following is a press release from the Department of Justice:
Filed False Claims for Reimbursement for Times when No Children were Present
A daycare operator from Covington, Washington pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to theft of public funds for falsely claiming reimbursement from a program that provides childcare to low income families, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. HINDIA YUSUF, 52, admitted that she falsely claimed $250,000 in reimbursement from the Working Connections Child Care program, a federally-funded program intended to promote employment in low-income families. YUSUF is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour on July 29, 2016.
According to facts stated in the plea agreement, beginning in 2005 YUSUF operated Harar Home Daycare. Under a program administered by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, YUSUF was paid for providing childcare to low-income families. Between 2012 and 2014, YUSUF claimed to be caring for 24 children divided into two twelve hour shifts. Beginning in January 2012, and ending on September 16, 2014, defendant submitted reimbursement reports to DSHS on which she intentionally overstated the number of hours of child care she and Harar Home Daycare had provided. YUSUF billed DSHS for care at times when she was caring for no children. YUSUF forged the signatures of parents on various logs so that she could seek reimbursement for childcare that was never provided. The amount of loss is estimated to be $250,000.
Theft of public funds is punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG) and U.S. Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the Washington Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS). .
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson.
Press contact for the U.S. Attorney’s Office is Public Affairs Officer Emily Langlie at (206) 553-4110 or Emily.Langlie@usdoj.gov.
