Daycare owner sentenced for fraud posted Thursday, November 12th, 2009 @ 8:01 am  E-mail Story |  Print Story  Pamela Gorden, 50, of Ferriday the owner of Gordon's Daycare and Learning Center, was sentenced to 37 months in prison for defrauding the Louisiana Child Care Assistance Program out of $220.697.49, United States Attorney Donald W. Washington announced last week. Sentence was imposed November 5 in U.S. District Court in Alexandria by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell. Gorden, who has owned and operated the daycare in Femday since 1990, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud on June 30, 2009. The scheme to defraud was to obtain payments for child care by submitting fraudulent monthly invoices for payment in the Child Care Assistance Program. The loss identified as a result of the defendant's criminal conduct is $220,697.49. The court ordered Gorden to make full restitution. The victim in this case is the State of Louisiana, Department of Social Services, Office of Family Support, Child Care Assistance Program. The Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) is funded by a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) block grant, which is administered by the Louisiana Department of Social Services, Office of Family Support (OFS). The program's objective is to provide child care assistance to parents who are either working or attending school or training. The payments are made directly to the child care provider. The amount of the payment is based upon the number of hours the parents work or attend school or training, the family size, the household income, and the amount charged by the child care provider. U.S. Attorney Donald W. Washington stated: "The Childcare Assistance Program helps low-income families to pay for child care while working, looking for work, attending school or training. When someone submits false claims for payments of child care that was not provided, this reduces the funds available to provide assistance to the families and children of Louisiana who need this service. This office will continue to prosecute and seek maximum punishment for anyone who abuses programs designed to protect the best interest of our families and children." This case was investigated by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General; the Louisiana Department of Social Services, Office of Family Support, Fraud and Recovery Section; and was prosecuted by AUSA Allison D. Bushnell.