MORE information on con artist Janet Yamanaka Mello has been revealed after the former Army employee stole millions from military families. Janet , 57, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison on Tuesday for scamming over $108 million from a grant program intended for military dependents. Janet was nicknamed the Gucci Goddess for her love of extravagance and luxury .
According to court documents , her first lavish purchase was a fourteen-acre lot and a five-acre lot in Verde Mountain Estates, Texas . Janet and her husband, Mark, paid around $404,000 cash for the two properties. They then purchased a four-bedroom home in a gated neighborhood for $678,000.
Read more on scams As the scam continued, the value of their properties increased. The Mellos purchased a stunning Colorado home for $2.3 million in cash and two adjoining properties in Canyon Lake, Texas for a whopping total of $3.
3 million. Their last real estate purchase was a mansion in Maryland for $3.1 million, totaling their real estate portfolio to a jaw-dropping $23 million.
They purchased a slew of vehicles including multiple vintage motorcycles, several Rovers, a Chevrolet Corvette, a Maserati, and a Mercedes Benz. Most read in The US Sun The Gucci Goddess and her accomplice purchased at least 82 vehicles, worth an approximate total of $3.5 million.
Janet also spent over $923,000 on designer jewelry including bracelets, gaudy broaches, rings, and watches. THE SCHEME Janet illegally pocketed the cash while workin.