WASHINGTON – Jamarea Grant, 33, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced yesterday to six months in prison in connection with a kickback scheme in which he and his uncle, Kirk Perry, a former U.S. Department of Agriculture program director, conspired to bill the federal government nearly $400,000 for work that Grant did not actually perform, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “Jamarea Grant conspired with his uncle to line their pockets with hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “He will now join his uncle behind bars for their attempt to exploit the government for personal gain. Fraud will not be tolerated, especially when those entrusted with government authority use their positions to commit it.” Grant pleaded guilty on Nov. 27, 2024, before U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to conspiracy to commit money, property, and honest services wire fraud. In addition to the six-month prison term Judge Kollar-Kotelly ordered Grant to serve 36 months of supervised release and to pay restitution of $399,319. Federal prosecutors had requested restitution and a prison term of six months. Perry, 62, of Loraine, Ohio, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money, property, and honest services wire fraud and was sentenced on August 7, 2026, to 24 months in prison, and ordered to serve two years of supervised release and to pay restitution of $399,319. “This corrupt fraud scheme siphoned nearly $400,000 in taxpayer funds to a no‑show job orchestrated by a federal official and a family member,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Public funds exist to serve the American people, not to enrich those who abuse positions of trust. Protecting the integrity of government programs is essential, and the Department will not tolerate schemes that betray that trust.” “The sentence issued today reflects our continued commitment to thoroughly investigate fraud, waste, and abuse. This individual benefited from his family member in a government position by receiving payment for work he never performed. The USDA OIG is ensuring oversight is in place to uncover these deceptive fraud schemes and we will relentlessly investigate these types of allegations in order to safeguard taxpayer dollars. We are grateful to our partners at the USAO for their support in bringing this investigation to its culmination,” said Jeldrys Lowry, Special Agent in Charge for USDA OIG Sensitive Investigations Office. According to court documents, Perry was a senior director within the USDA’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights and used his position to secure employment for Grant as an Equal Opportunity Assistant. They billed the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights and Grant received about $399,319 from the government for work that was not performed. In pleading guilty, Perry and Grant admitted that, from August 2015 through November 2022, Perry arranged for Grant to be hired by two companies under contract with the USDA Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. Grant reported directly to Perry, who also approved the invoices billing for Grant’s time, and the two of them conspired to bill the government for work that Grant did not perform. Perry additionally had access to Grant’s bank account. As part of the criminal scheme Perry transferred approximately $125,000 of the USDA payments from Grant’s account to his own account. This case was investigated by the USDA Office of Inspector General Sensitive Investigations Office. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Kelly. The Department of Justice in April announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President JD Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.   24cr223