Posted on 01/29/2024 5:19:01 AM PST by tlozo
A con artist who is accused of defrauding the US Army out of $100 million has been given the green light to retire with full benefits.
Janet Yamanaka Mello, 57, who is currently under criminal investigation, brazenly claims she “earned” her civil servant retirement package despite allegedly using the funds to purchase over 30 homes, luxury cars, and jewelry through the seven-year-long scheme.
The military admitted that there is nothing that can be done to withhold Mello’s benefits from her as it’s protected under a federal law that was held up in government bureaucracy.
“The command has no authority to impact Ms. Mello’s retirement,” an Army spokesperson told the San Antonio Express-News.
“In accordance with 5 U.S. Code Section 8312, an individual may be denied an annuity or retired pay on the basis of the service of the individual, if the individual is convicted of treason, rebellion or insurrection, or other similar offenses. There is no similar statutory authority for denying retired pay based on a conviction of other offenses.”
Albert Flores, Mello’s attorney, told the outlet that his client “earned” her retirement benefits.
“She earned it. I don’t see how one thing is related to the other,” he said of the ongoing criminal investigation.
Flores said that Mello’s case will be resolved quickly, as she’s been “very cooperative” in turning over assets.
Mello, who worked as a civilian financial program manager at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, hatched a plan in 2016 to create a business titled “Child Health and Youth Lifelong Development” so she would siphon funds she received from the Army to herself.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
She played a system so vast and flush with money that a hundred million is less than crumbs off the table and won for a bit. Now she should be haunted by this for the rest of her life. The feds have far greater resources to prosecute than anyone does to defend. If not convicted, she will be worn down to sand. That is good of course. The smile and eyebrows will be gone.
How many more are there just like her?...................
I shudder at the thought.
This corrupt, criminal cretin should be in Ft Leavenworth.
I’m curious whether 5 U.S. Code Section 8312 could be applicable to individuals who have retired from military or civil service. Could this provision offer protection for the pensions of individuals who were involved in the events of January 6th?
Rules for Radicals “make them play by their own rules”
Why the hell not? Why are the people in government so protected while everyone else is not?
I worked at a government site years ago. The guy we were supposed to meet with to sign off for us was never there. We had traveled out of state for the project, showed up at the agreed upon time and he wasn’t there.
His secretary said he had to go to a meeting and would be gone all day, but he would be back the next day. (He had a big office with windows, his secretary was just outside his office - just like the old days.
We missed him again the second day (and couldn’t do any work). One of the other workers at the site said to show up at 6 am and wait for him outside the building (it was locked, nobody there that early). He signed our stuff out on the sidewalk as he headed into the building.
Turns out he would go into his office each morning, turn on his light and computer, and then leave for his private consulting job where he would work all day. On his commute home he would swing by the government office, turn off his light and computer.
I was 20-something at the time. If that happened today I’d figure out a way to turn him in.
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