Court orders daycare provider to pay $370K

GRAND RAPIDS (AP) — An appeals court says a former daycare provider must pay more than $370,000 for billing the state for childcare services she never rendered.
 
The Grand Rapids Press reports Monica Onette Robinson operated A Precious Creation daycare in Grand Rapids until the state shut it down.

Authorities say Robinson billed the state Department of Human Services. Court records showed that investigators found she sometimes billed for an entire day when there were no children at the daycare center that had a maximum capacity of 21.

State investigators believe about 153,000 hours were falsely reported. 

Robinson was charged with multiple welfare fraud counts. She pleaded no contest to one count and received a six month jail sentence.

Robinson had appealed the restitution amount.