St. Louis-area nonprofit founder indicted on wire fraud charges, accused of stealing more than $2 million

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) – The founder and owner of a St. Louis area nonprofit aimed at feeding low-income families has been indicted federally on four counts of wire fraud for defrauding the state of Missouri has more than $2 million.

According to the indictment, Cymone McClellan, 31, operated the Sister of Lavender Rose (SOLR) and submitted false reimbursement claims to the Food and Nutrition Programs for Children, which is overseen by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS).

Federal documents show that McClellan claimed to have served 860,876 meals to children in the area, but “she only purchased enough food and milk to serve less than a quarter of those meals.”

Prosecutors detail in the documents that McClellan used the address of Elmo's Love Lounge, an adults-only nightclub in University City, as the listed address for preparing the food she allegedly gave to the children.

McClellan used $60,000 from SOLR's bank account for a down payment on a home in Collinsville, Illinois, and tens of thousands more on a home in Florissant, as well as a handful of vehicles, including some luxury cars such as a Mercedes-Benz and a Lexus.

First Alert 4 revealed that McClellan used and listed several addresses under her name, including two in Florissant.

First Alert 4 went to one of the homes and a woman answered the door and claimed not to know who McClellan was.

“We get mail at this address, but she doesn’t live here,” the woman said.

As of Thursday evening, McClellan had not been arrested, but a warrant was issued for her arrest.

If convicted, McClellan faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count.

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