A former beauty pageant winner, worship pastor, and Christian performer pleaded guilty to committing day care fraud at three businesses in Minnesota.
Jill Mertens, 43, admitted to fraudulently receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Great Start Compensation Support Payment Program, which was signed into law by Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota.
‘We had no idea she was committing any fraud. We didn’t have any idea the day care was in any financial hardship.’
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In 2016, Mertens registered three day cares she owned: The Tree of Life Academy in Ramsey and the Creative Stars Academy in Kasson and Rochester.
State data showed that the centers received numerous complaints and violations in recent years.
She received about $425,000 from the program to pay for 23 teachers who
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