Robbie Wilkerson, 47, and his wife, Tasha Wilkerson, 42, both of Oak Park, are accused of defrauding the Summer Food Service Program, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
The summer food program is run by the Food and Nutrition Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Also charged were Richard Shumate, 50; his wife, Evelyn Shumate, 47, both of Romeoville; and Anthony Hall, 53, of Downers Grove, the Justice Department said.
Robbie Wilkerson is the founding pastor of New Birth Christian Center in Chicago, which received money from the summer food program, the release said.
According to the release, Robbie Wilkerson, on behalf of the church, submitted a budget in 2010 of $446,440 to the Illinois State Board of Education, saying his church would host the summer program at 34 sites in the Chicago area.
The release said the defendants later submitted approximately $714,000 in claims, some of which were false, to the state board of education, more than $250,000 over the budgeted amount.
Claims submitted by the New Birth Christian Center said approximately 267,000 meals were served to low-income children, but the actual number of meals served was fewer than 100,000, according to the release.
The release said Robbie and Tasha Wilkerson took more than $100,000 for their personal use and that Hall, a New Birth Christian Center pastor, got approximately $50,000 for his and his spouse's use. Prosecutors said Richard Shumate, a program operations manager for the 2010 food program, and his wife, Evelyn Shumate, an assistant on the program, took $98,000.
When reached by phone, Robbie Wilkerson declined to comment.
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