Hillsborough Head Start Exec Acquitted of Fraud

The former chief financial officer of  Hillsborough County’s Head Start program was acquitted just a few weeks ago of a fraud charge that a jury previously found him guilty of. Back in July, Michael Jimenez was convicted of two federal fraud charges after a trial. The jury acquitted him of conspiring with his wife and another Head Start official.

According to the evidence produced at trial, Jimenez’s wife, Johana Melendez Santiago, a scientific researcher and Hillsborough Community College instructor, self-published a children’s book called “Travel Boy Helps Sebastian” about avoiding blood-borne pathogens. The government accused Jimenez, with the help of a former Head Start colleague, Marie Mason, of having the county buy the book despite the objections of a program nurse who felt it was not appropriate for the younger kids.

Prosecutors claimed the purchase purposely was set at an amount lower than $10,000, the spending threshold that would have triggered a review by others.

Jimenez’s defense attorneys argued that his actions were not illegal although he might have completed a conflict-of-interest disclosure form to comply with human resources policy.

The jury deliberated for two hours before acquitting both Mason and Melendez. Jimenez was found guilty of two fraud counts but was acquitted by the jury of a third count (conspiracy). Immediately after the verdicts were announced, the federal trial court judge indicated that she might set aside one of the convictions, related to an alleged kickback.

About a month after the verdicts, the judge found there was insufficient evidence presented to the jury to support a conviction of mail fraud. That conviction was set aside. She did find there was enough evidence to support the jury verdict of guilty as to defrauding Head Start of $9,000.

Jimenez is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 11. One of the fraud counts against him carries up to 10 years in federal prison, while the other carries a maximum prison term of 20 years. Under federal sentencing guidelines, however, he is likely to face less time.