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A judge has denied a request from Janet Mello to keep her $4400 a month pension while she serves a 15 year prison sentence for stealing $108 Million from the army as reported by AlamogordoTownNews.org
Yamanaka Mello, the ex-civilian defense employee who ripped off nearly $109 million from the Army, will have to live without the bulk of her government pension while locked up.
At a hearing Tuesday in federal court in San Antonio, U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguezgranted prosecutors' request for the government to take 95% — or about $4,251 — of the $4,474.69 in monthly federal retirement benefits Mello receives from her 35-year career as a government employee. The money will be applied to the more than $140 million in restitution she was ordered to pay as part of her 15-year prison sentence.
Also at the hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy Callahan told the judge that her office is still trying to recover $50 million that Mello stole.
Callahan had argued Mello, 58, shouldn't receive 95% of her pension while imprisoned given it's costing the government about $50,000 a year to incarcerate her.
"She's going to be in prison a long time," Rodriguez said to Mello's lawyer, Albert Flores. "Why does she need $4,400 per month in prison?"
"The answer is, she doesn't," Flores said.
The judge then granted Callahan's motion to take all but about $224 of Mello's monthly benefits. Mello will be able to use the 5% she's left with to pay for her commissary needs.
Mello fraudulently siphoned Army funds meant for youth development opportunities for military-connected children to her personal accounts, prosecutors said.
She was a financial program manager for the Army’s Installation Management Command, which is headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston. Mello worked in the G-9 Section that helps soldiers with recreation, morale and welfare services.
Patchy rain nearby, with a high of 96 and low of 67 degrees. Sunny for the morning, partly cloudy in the afternoon and evening, clear overnight.
See a NMSC case decided in early 2023 State v. Granado which is an OCSO NEU case mainly centering on seizure of persons, but clearly implicates CIs in that it discusses the two prongs of the test of CI tips one of which is did they have a reason to know what they claim. The other is reliability of the informant.
Which basically boils down to the 2 main things in any criminal case, motive and opportunity.
yet another reminder that vaccinations are a wise policy.
a federal court trial with an impaneled jury of 12 texas citizens has heard the evidence against an illegal immigrant, and acquitted her on charges of trespass of a military reservation, and of trump's xo establishing a national defense area.
How is this a loss for Trump or the American people?
The reason the zone was turned into a military base was to allow military personal to patrol the border, with the ability to apprehend and detain anyone caught in the zone. Every person that has been caught on the new base is being deported.
trump has enough trouble with stairs - he shouldn't try water.
let me explain the significance of these dismissals/acquittal.
You need to see if you can get a refund and maybe damages from the University of California. You're identity politics are outdated, and were never all that effective to begin with.
Apparently The New Mexico Environment Dept. is staffed by people who went to New Mexico schools.
it's good to remember that there are some very needy billionaires that deserve those funds be redistributed to facilitate a crucial income tax break - that will allow them to exercise even more influence in our one-man-one-vote "democracy"....no billionaire left behind!
Democrats Being Party of the Rich Could Cost Them 2024 Election
Newsweek
That headline says a lot about the lack of responsible leadership in this state.
More than 1 in 5 New Mexicans are in need of assistance. Shame on you MLG, and shame on Alamogordo Town News for your misleading headline.