Press Release
☷Greensburg Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Theft of Government Funds
Federal Bureau of Investigation ( By Press Release office)
May 01,2022
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Greensburg Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Theft of Government Funds United States Attorney Ronald C . Gathe , Jr . announced that U . S . District Judge Brian A . Jackson sentenced Neiyondra Rogers , age 38 , of Greensburg , Louisiana , to 33 months in federal prison following her conviction for theft of government funds . The Court further sentenced Rogers to serve three years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment and ordered her to pay restitution in the amount of $179 , 252 . 85 to the USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program; $20 , 832 to the Small Business Administration ( SBA ) ; and $16 , 961 to the Louisiana Workforce Commission . According to admissions made as part of her guilty plea , beginning in January 2016 , Rogers participated in the Child and Adult Care Food Program as a provider . Under the program , she was required to provide children in her care with nutritious meals . To be reimbursed for her services , she would have to submit reimbursement claims to her sponsor , Feliciana Day Care Home Agency . Although Rogers routinely submitted claims for reimbursement , claiming that she had provided meals to children in her care , in fact , she never watched any children while participating in the program , nor did she provide the meals reflected in her claims . Based on the fraudulent claims she submitted , the defendant was reimbursed at least $31 , 224 . 27 in federal funds from the Child and Adult Care Food Program . In addition to submitting fraudulent reimbursement claims , Rogers discussed the program and work with Feliciana Day Care Home Agency with other providers . For these individuals , Rogers assisted the individuals in signing up for the program , and she submitted false reimbursement claims on their behalf or aided them in submitting false reimbursement claims , resulting in the sponsor , Feliciana Day Care Home Agency , issuing the individuals reimbursement checks . On numerous occasions , Rogers would collect the reimbursement checks issued to the individuals with whom she discussed the program and would endorse their checks to herself , sometimes without their knowledge or consent . In total , Rogers endorsed and cashed checks in the names of other providers for a total of $91 , 635 . 34 . The money she stole belonged to the United States Department of Agriculture ' s Child and Adult Care Food Program . Lastly , beginning in April 2020 , Rogers submitted fraudulent claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance ( “PUA” ) and Disaster Unemployment Assistance ( “DUA” ) to the Louisiana Workforce Commission ( “LWC” ) . As a result of these fraudulent claims , she received at least $16 , 951 . 00 in unemployment benefits to which she was not entitled . In March 2021 , Rogers also applied for and received a loan under the Small Business Administration’s ( “SBA’s” ) Paycheck Protection Program ( “PPP” ) . In that application , Rogers falsely represented that she was the owner of a sole proprietorship engaged in the catering business when in fact , no such business existed . As a result , the defendant received an additional $20 , 832 . 00 in government funds to which she was not entitled . U . S . Attorney Ronald C . Gathe , Jr . stated , “This defendant committed fraud in government programs intended for underprivileged children and those adversely affected by Covid - 19 . Prosecuting this type of fraud is a high priority of this office , and I want to thank our prosecutors and our law enforcement partners for their efforts in bringing this defendant to justice . ” Neiyondra Rogers used funds designated for the USDA Summer Foods Service Program , which provides nutritional meals for children in low - income families , for her own personal expenses . Defrauding taxpayers and taking food out of the mouths of children who can’t provide for themselves is reprehensible , ” said Douglas A . Williams , Jr . , FBI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge . “I would like to thank our partners at the U . S . Attorney’s Office Middle District of Louisiana and Louisiana Office of Inspector General for their efforts in helping the FBI disrupt this type of fraud . ”Louisiana Inspector General Stephen Street commented , “This is just the latest in a series of successful criminal cases where summer nutrition funds were stolen with no regard for the children they were intended to benefit . Neiyondra Rogers shamelessly broke the law out of pure personal greed , and today’s sentencing brings this sad episode to a just conclusion . We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to root out this corruption wherever it may be found . ” Street added , “I want to thank United States Attorney Ron Gathe and his staff for their usual outstanding work , as well as our partners at the FBI . ”This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Louisiana Office of Inspector General and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Craig .
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