A 58-year-old Pine Bluff man was sentenced Wednesday to 33 months, or three months shy of three years, in federal prison for his role in a widespread scheme to steal money intended for feeding children in low-income areas in Arkansas.
Elbert Harris pleaded guilty Oct. 10 to a charge of conspiring to commit wire fraud, admitting that he participated from June 2012 through August 2015 in a scheme that siphoned $1,084,130.13 from a U.S. Department of Agriculture program.
In addition to the prison time, U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker ordered Harris to repay the money, forfeit property he bought with money he acquired from the scheme and serve three years of supervised release.
The USDA feeding programs are administered in Arkansas through the state Department of Human Services. Potential sponsors who want to participate in the feeding programs must submit an application through the state agency for approval. Once approved as a sponsor, a person can provide meals as part of the program and be reimbursed for the eligible meals they serve.
Through an organization called Greater Faith Ministries, Harris was a sponsor who had 14 approved feeding sites in Pine Bluff, Altheimer and Wabbaseka. He admitted to submitting fraudulent claims purporting to have fed many more children than were actually fed, and being reimbursed by the state for that amount.
According to U.S. Attorney Cody Hiland, Harris submitted claims that he fed up to 165 children a day at some of his feeding sites, but fewer than 20 children were actually fed at those locations.
Harris is the 16th defendant to be sentenced in several related schemes to fraudulently obtain USDA program funds meant to feed children in low-income areas.
The other defendants sentenced so far, and the sentences they received, are as follows: Kattie Jordan, five years and three months; Reuben Nims, 21 months; Tonique Hatton, nine years; James Franklin, two years; Maria Nelson, 21/2 years; Michael Lee, 2½ years; Christopher Nichols, three years' probation; Gladys Waits, nine years; Alexis Young, 18 months; Erica Warren, 18 months; Francine Leon, just under three years; Anthony Waits, 14½ years; Jacqueline Mills, 12½ years; Dorothy Harper, 33 months; and Waymon Weeams, 15 months.
One person -- Debora Washington -- was indicted Feb. 1 on related fraud charges and is awaiting trial. Also, Nigel Hall has pleaded guilty to wire-fraud conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone who is aware of any fraudulent activity regarding feeding programs is asked to email the information to [email protected].
Metro on 03/01/2018