5 GAO Employees Accused Of School Lunch Fraud

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Five employees with the U.S. Government Accountability Office underreported their income or reported having no income at all in order to fraudulently obtain reduced-price school lunches for their children, a prosecutor said Tuesday.

The employees were indicted on charges of theft, fraud and filing false applications, according to Prince George's County State's Attorney Angela Alsobrooks. Among those indicted is a member of the county Board of Education, Alsobrooks said.

In May 2014, a GAO audit of school meals programs nationwide showed several employees in Maryland's Prince George's County applied for the program, even though it appeared they were not eligible. Alsobrooks says the GAO referred the employees' files to its Inspector General's office and to Alsobrooks' office.

According to the Prince George's County public schools website, a family of four with an annual income of $44,863 or less is eligible for free or reduced-price meals. If a family receives food stamps or temporary cash assistance benefits, students are automatically eligible for free meals.

The full price for a lunch in the public schools is $2.65; the reduced price is 40 cents. Alsobrooks estimates the employees' children received about $11,500 in reduced-price lunches.

"There is no excuse for stealing funds intended to go to children whose parents cannot afford the school lunches," Alsobrooks said.

GAO spokesman Charles Young said the federal watchdog agency was "disappointed and surprised" that some of its employees might be involved in fraud.

"We will now be monitoring the judicial process and then determine what personnel actions might be appropriate," he said.

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