DCF supervisor charged in theft of $1.5 million from Plantation office

DCF supervisor charged in theft of $1.5 million from Plantation office
Woman, 2 sisters allegedly took $1.5 million

By Sofia Santana and Brian Haas | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
December 8, 2007

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/loc...,6681498.story

A supervisor at the Florida Department of Children & Families office in
Plantation has been charged, along with two alleged accomplices, with
stealing more than $1.5 million in state welfare money.

The supervisor gained access to a welfare recipient's account and
authorized that additional money be placed in it — money that was later
withdrawn by the supervisor and one of the alleged accomplices.

Violet Jones, 41, of Miramar, worked for the social services agency for
22 years with an annual salary of $37,600 but on Friday was terminated,
officials said. She was arrested Thursday night and remained in the
Broward County Jail late Friday on $600,000 bail.

Charged as accomplices were sisters Shanika and Tanisha Shorter, 25 and
22, respectively, of Fort Lauderdale. Both, too, were being held in the
county jail late Friday.

No one answered the phone at the women's homes Friday evening, and it
was not known if they had hired attorneys.

Authorities say the theft occurred over about three years, beginning in
January 2005, but was not discovered in random audits at the agency
until last month. DCF auditors noticed suspicious activity logged on
some welfare cases and launched an investigation with the Florida
Department of Law Enforcement, officials said.

The investigation remains open, and additional charges against the three
women are possible, officials said.

"We expect our employees to embody the highest standards of ethics and
integrity, but sadly, it appears Ms. Jones chose to take advantage of
this Department and the vulnerable families served by our Temporary Cash
Assistance program," DCF head Bob Butterworth said Friday in a written
statement.

Jones manipulated a welfare account to get money that she then used to
gamble at South Florida casinos, purchase a Lexus SUV and make payments
on a Lexus sedan, said Paige Patterson-Hughes, a FDLE spokeswoman.

"As a supervisor, she had access to certain DCF systems,"
Patterson-Hughes said.

Jones used that access to have a South Florida man's electronic benefits
transfer card mailed to her home, investigators said. The card is
basically a government-issue debit card for emergency cash or food stamps.

Jones then authorized additional cash benefits to the account, which
allowed her to use the card to withdraw anywhere from $900 to $63,000
each month, officials said.

Also, Tanisha Shorter used her sister Shanika's EBT card to withdraw
cash from the account Jones had manipulated, officials said, and then
gave some of the money to Jones.

Investigators do not think the man whose account was used in the alleged
scheme was involved in it, officials said.

The formal charges against Jones a first-degree grand theft over
$100,000, organized scheme to defraud, identity theft, official
misconduct, unlawful compensation and money laundering.

The Shorter sisters have been charged with first-degree grand theft over
$100,000, organized scheme to defraud, money laundering and welfare fraud.

Tanisha Shorter faces additional charges of violating her probation,
which state records show stems from a March 2006 arrest on theft and
fraud charges.

Staff Researcher Gail Bulfin contributed to this report.

Sofia Santana can be reached at or 954-356-4631.








CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NATIONAL
SECURITY AGENCY/CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY WIRETAPPING PROGRAMS....

CPS Does not protect children...
It is sickening how many children are subject to abuse, neglect and even
killed at the hands of Child Protective Services.

every parent should read this .pdf from
connecticut dcf watch...

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com/8x11.pdf

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com

Number of Cases per 100,000 children in the US
These numbers come from The National Center on
Child Abuse and Neglect in Washington. (NCCAN)
Recent numbers have increased significantly for CPS

*Perpetrators of Maltreatment*

Physical Abuse CPS 160, Parents 59
Sexual Abuse CPS 112, Parents 13
Neglect CPS 410, Parents 241
Medical Neglect CPS 14 Parents 12
Fatalities CPS 6.4, Parents 1.5

Imagine that, 6.4 children die at the hands of the very agencies that
are supposed to protect them and only 1.5 at the hands of parents per
100,000 children. CPS perpetrates more abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse
and kills more children then parents in the United States. If the
citizens of this country hold CPS to the same standards that they hold
parents too. No judge should ever put another child in the hands of ANY
government agency because CPS nationwide is guilty of more harm and
death than any human being combined. CPS nationwide is guilty of more
human rights violations and deaths of children then the homes from which
they were removed. When are the judges going to wake up and see that
they are sending children to their death and a life of abuse when
children are removed from safe homes based on the mere opinion of a
bunch of social workers.


CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAPPILY DESTROYING THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT
FAMILIES YEARLY NATIONWIDE AND COMING TO YOU'RE HOME SOON...


BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF
REFORMING OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES
TAKE A STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEY
ARE "FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION...