A Paso Robles woman has been indicted in a scheme to defraud the United States Department of Education by submitting an application containing forged signatures for more than $35 million in grant money, some of which was awarded to – and then had to be returned by – the Indio Youth Task Force (IYTF).

A federal grand jury yesterday afternoon returned a three-count indictment charging Jean Michele Cross, 57, with fraud and related offenses for preparing and filing an application for a 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program (21st CCLC) grant on behalf of IYTF, a non-profit, community-based organization in the Coachella Valley.
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