A Kansas business owner pleaded guilty to federal charges last week, for conspiring to defraud a school subsidy program and for lying about his employment to receive federal housing assistance through the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority.
Leonard Douglas LaDuron, of Everett, Wash., faces up to 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine for the crimes.
Prosecutors said LaDuron fraudulently obtained money from the government’s E-Rate Program, which provides subsidies to schools and libraries to purchase and install technology and technology services.
He also forged a signature to make it appear he was an hourly employee of a company he operated, Serious ISP Inc., so his family could continue to receive rental housing assistance from the housing authority.
LaDuron’s mother, Mary Jo LaDuron, also pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents about her knowledge of the E-Rate Program. The Leavenworth woman also told them she was unaware who owned a business she worked for, Elephantine Corporation, another business that was owned by her son.
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grammaddy (anonymous) says…
How sad. With all the folks, many of them homeless, waiting on the list for housing, here comes another idiot trying to get over by de-frauding the system. I hope they put them both UNDER the jail.
xbusguy (chris Ogle) says…
Those people are something else.... steal from the poor to give to the rich... don't put em in Jail... make em work for a change.
consumer1 (anonymous) says…
Not entirely different from those people who have plenty, but still go to L.I.N.K. to get free meals. Now before you freak out. I am saying, there are people in Lawrence who have money, property, and are economically sound, who still go to eat food at link for free.
This is just greedy, I see it as taking food out of the mouths of those less fortunate.
smitty (anonymous) says…
LINK is a charitable offering of food and companionship paid for by the generous contributions of members of our community's churches and temples.
This is a low life story on poverty pimping.
Curious JW, what dates were the parties charged? How long did it take for the case to go through the court process?
I would like to see a time frame barometer of local federal cases completed vs the four year and on-going fencing case that has been labeled by the LPD as the largest fencing operation in the history of Lawrence.
It's not what you read in the news, it's what you can read between the lines that informs us.
rodentgirl16 (anonymous) says…
Here you go:
http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/cases/f23320...
Irish (Leslie Swearingen) says…
Just how would the people who serve meals at LINK verify that everyone was at or below the poverty line?
tolawdjk (anonymous) says…
The ammount of work these people go through to make a business front to defraud the govt. is stunning at times. Shells within shells within shells holding nothing but lies.
You would think honest work would be easier.
rodentgirl16 (anonymous) says…
Honestly, I think he started honestly enough, but got in over his head. Then, he came up with the scheme to try and recoup his losses, and his hubris was such that he thought he would never get caught.