(David Beasley, The Center Square) A Cleveland man and former U.S. Department of Agriculture program director were sentenced to six months in federal prison for conspiring to bill the federal government about $400,000 for work never performed.
“Jamarea Grant conspired with his uncle to line their pockets with hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars,” U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanette Pirro said in a statement. “He will now join his uncle behind bars for their attempt to exploit the government for personal gain. Fraud will not be tolerated, especially when those entrusted with government authority use their positions to commit it.”
Grant pleaded guilty in 2024 to conspiracy to commit money, property and honest services wire fraud.
His uncle, Kirk Perry, was a former U.S. Department of Agriculture program director from Loraine, Ohio, who also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money, property, and honest services wire fraud and was sentenced last month to 24 months in prison and ordered to serve two years of supervised release and to pay restitution of $399,319.
“This corrupt fraud scheme siphoned nearly $400,000 in taxpayer funds to a no‑show job orchestrated by a federal official and a family member,” Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald said in a statement. “Public funds exist to serve the American people, not to enrich those who abuse positions of trust. Protecting the integrity of government programs is essential, and the Department will not tolerate schemes that betray that trust.”
Perry was a senior director within the USDA’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights and “used his position to secure employment for Grant as an Equal Opportunity Assistant,” according to prosecutors. “They billed the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights and Grant received about $399,319 from the government for work that was not performed. “
Perry arranged for Grant to be hired by two companies under contract with the USDA.
“Grant reported directly to Perry, who also approved the invoices billing for Grant’s time, and the two of them conspired to bill the government for work that Grant did not perform,” according to a news release.
Perry had access to Grant’s bank account, prosecutors said.
“As part of the criminal scheme, Perry transferred approximately $125,000 of the USDA payments from Grant’s account to his own account.” according to prosecutors.
