DC Employee Accused of Taking Bribes, Sex in Exchange for $1.4M in Food Stamps and Benefits
Washington DC March 16 2019
A D.C. government employee is facing federal charges for allegedly issuing more than $1.45 million in food stamps and welfare benefits to people in exchange for sexual favors and $380,000, court documents say.
Demetrius McMillan, a social services representative for D.C.’s Department of Human Services accepted the sexual favors and money from about April through July of last year, the documents filed by the D.C. United State’s Attorney’s Office state.
Sources tell News4 that as many as two dozen recipients are involved.
Investigators found nearly $75,000 in cash at McMillan’s home in December, according to the documents.
“The crimes and acts alleged in the charging document are despicable and demonstrate a lack of values. When the Department of Human Services became suspicious of illegal activity, it reported it to the Office of the Inspector General,” a spokesperson for Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office said in a statement. “The District government takes suspected abusive and fraudulent activity seriously, and will always work and cooperate with our local and federal partners to ensure that those who engage in criminal behavior are held accountable.”
The statement also said that anyone who suspects waste, fraud or abuse should contact the Office of Program Review, Monitoring, and Investigation at (202) 671-4460 or submit an allegation at https://dhs.dc.gov/service/monitoring-and-investigation.
The Washington Post reports this is the second District employee to be involved in a welfare corruption investigation in the past month.
Former District employee Gary T. Holliday was convicted last month of taking more than $400,000 from the food stamp program and putting it into a fraudulent account for several months in 2017. He’s set to be sentenced in June.
NBC Washington
