Wichita day care owner sentenced for welfare fraud that cost state more than $50,000
A Wichita day care owner who lied about attendance in order to defraud the state out of more than $52,000 in child care benefits is on probation.
Sedgwick County District Court Judge Stephen Ternes on Wednesday ordered Erika Tomlin of Wichita to be on probation for up to five years while she works on repaying $36,000 of the money, according to a news release from the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office. She has to hand over at least $7,200 in restitution each year — or risk being sent to prison for five months.
If she pays all of the money back sooner than five years, Ternes could opt to end her probation term then.
Tomlin, 29, owned two Kiddy Kollege day care locations in Wichita. The District Attorney's Office says she and five women who receive child care benefits from the state Department for Children and Families claimed their children were attending Tomlin's day care when they weren't. The women received money from DCF to pay the fake bills.
Bank records show Tomlin and the women split the money, according to the District Attorney's Office news release.
The total amount of restitution ordered in connection with the fraud is $52,344.04. Of that:
- Tomlin, who pleaded guilty to felony theft in April, must pay $36,000
- Na'Shari Sanders must pay $4,934.36
- Sierra Martin must pay $3,359.25
- Raven Alexander must pay $1,140
- Shameca Davis must pay $4,052.33
- Danielle Sullivan must pay $2,858.10.
Sanders and Alexander were granted a diversion in their criminal cases. Martin, Davis and Sullivan all pleaded guilty to misdemeanor theft.
This story was originally published May 31, 2018 at 3:29 PM with the headline "Wichita day care owner sentenced for welfare fraud that cost state more than $50,000."