Investigations

On November 19, 2020, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) suspended Jessica Childs and proposed her debarment. On April 23, 2019, Childs pleaded guilty to wire fraud. She was the former finance director at Women Unlimited, a now-defunct nonprofit located in Augusta, Maine. Women Unlimited provided on-the-job supportive services to the Maine Department of Transportation under a Federal-aid contract funded with discretionary FHWA grants. The investigation revealed that between 2010 and 2015, Childs used a credit card issued to Women Unlimited to make personal purchases and obtain cash advances without the organization’s knowledge or authorization. She also admitted that she used Women Unlimited funds to pay for the fraudulent credit card charges.

 

DOT-OIG conducted this investigation with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with substantial assistance from FHWA.