A Silvis woman has admitted stealing more than half a million dollars from programs that feed needy children. Wednesday 66 year old Nora Steele pleaded guilty to federal charges of fraud and filing a false tax return.
According to prosecutors, Steele served as operations director for a program that provided summer and after-school meals to at-risk children - first for the Church of Peace in Rock Island, and then for the Quad Cities Area Children's Food Program. And that for two years, from 2015 through 2017, she was reimbursed for falsely inflated meal counts.
She also inflated payments for her salary and salaries paid to her family members, plus she claimed reimbursement for many more miles than she actually travelled for her job. In addition, Steele fully funded a retirement account with money from the food program.
Her sentencing is now set for January ( 1/19/19 ).