Man sentenced for defrauding federal children’s food aid program

Dallas, Texas - After a prolonged investigation into misconduct involving a federal children’s food aid program, a Dallas resident has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for defrauding the initiative of $2.3 million. This update was recently released by the Northern District of Texas U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Michael Munson, 47, pled guilty in July 2022, admitting to fraudulent actions against the summer food service program. This federal initiative is designed to offer nutritious meals to underprivileged children during the summer recess.

U.S. District Judge Ada Brown delivered Munson's sentence this Monday. Munson's counsel, Attorney Chris Knox, expressed gratitude to the United States Attorney’s Office and the Court. In a formal statement, he noted, “I applaud the United States Attorney’s Office and the Court for taking into consideration all the good Mr. Munson has done in this world when determining a fair sentence in this case.”

Managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, the Summer Food Service Program is instrumental in addressing hunger among low-income children by supplying complimentary meals during summer when schools are closed.

Prosecution evidence highlighted that Munson claimed to have distributed over 2.4 million meals to children via his organization, the Heloise Munson Foundation. However, records showed he had dispensed less than 1 million meals, wrongfully retaining reimbursements for an additional 1.4 million meals that remained undistributed.

The charges against Munson detailed deliberate inflation of the number of meals his foundation offered and misrepresentation of the sites they serviced. This deceit continued from 2008 to 2014. The court was informed that Munson paid an individual $75,000 to produce counterfeit invoices for a fictitious company, Janus Wholesale Food, Inc. In 2013, Munson falsely testified under oath in an administrative proceeding, claiming his foundation had obtained food supplies from Janus. Munson also presented forged documents, inaccurately suggesting that Janus had supplied food, milk, and juice to his foundation, as cited in the press release.

Munson's conviction and sentencing followed a law established in 1977 specifically to deter fraud in the Summer Food Service Program, the attorney’s office confirmed. Munson was officially charged in August 2018.

Credit: Dallas Metro News, Northern District of Texas U.S. Attorney's Office