Trio Admits to Stealing Government Funds to Feed Children in Need – NBC10 Philadelphia

A trio of alleged fraudsters have pleaded guilty to using millions of dollars in government grants to feed Pennsylvania’s children to buy luxury cars and fancy clothes, federal authorities said Thursday.

Charles Simpson, 44, Tanisha Jackson, 49, and her daughter Paige Jackson, 30, confessed to creating a fictitious nonprofit called “Helping Others in Need“ who received federal funds allegedly intended for feeding children in need after school and in the summer.

According to federal authorities, instead of handing out food to Pennsylvania children, the troika used the funds to buy an entire fleet of luxury cars that included a Bentley, two Land Rovers, two Maserati, two Mercedes, a Hummer and a Porsche, as well as clothing. and vacation vouchers.

Investigators also said Simpson and Tanisha Jackson used fake names because they had previously been excluded from feeding programs in other states, a U.S. prosecutor said. Paige Jackson also admitted to using a pseudonym when communicating with government officials from education.

In total, according to investigators, between 2015 and 2019, the troika stole about $ 4 million from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

After pleading guilty, Simpson and Tanisha Jackson agreed to pay the federal government $ 1.5 million as restitution. Paige Jackson agreed to pay about $ 190,000.

All sentences will be handed down by U.S. District Judge Arthur Schwab, although no dates have been set.