A counselor with Connections Community Support Programs has admitted to lying about providing job placement services to clients.
Former Connections counselor William Brown pleaded guilty to wire fraud in the U.S. District Court of Delaware. Federal court documents say Brown forged client signatures and falsified pay stubs to indicate clients had received job placement services when they had not as par of a contract with the Delaware Dept. of Labor.
The documents say Connections was paid with mostly federal grants and some state funds based on how many clients Brown was able to help find employment, and Brown forged the documents in order to get paid.
Prosecutors allege the state paid Connections between $40,000 and $90,000 as a result of Brown’s more than 30 forged documents.
Brown faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
It’s the second time this year Connections has been accused of misrepresenting the counselling services it provides.
In May, a News Journal investigation found Connections had falsified documents after failing to provide adequate addiction counselling for female inmates in a Sussex County treatment program.
A state Department of Justice investigation into that matter is ongoing.
