Nonprofit Owner Given Jail for Spending Grant Money Meant for Summer Jobs

The former owner of a small nonprofit on Chicago's West Side was sentenced to 21 days in jail Thursday for spending thousands of dollars in state grant money on herself instead of giving summer training jobs to teenagers.

In handing down the sentence, U.S. District Judge Elaine Bucklo told Franshuan Myles that the damage done undermining the public's confidence in such grant programs was substantial, even if the amount of the fraud was small.

"Any corruption is not OK," Bucklo said, adding that she did not feel Myles had taken full responsibility for her crime. Still, the sentence was far below the up to two-year prison term sought by prosecutors. Myles' lawyer had asked for probation.

In a tearful statement to the judge, Myles said she had good intentions with the grant, but got in over her head when she took over the nonprofit, Divine Praise, after her mother's death from cancer.