The Tennessee Comptroller’s Office has released an investigative report detailing a scheme led by former South Central Human Resource Agency (SCHRA) employee and program manager Jennifer Henry. The SCHRA’s main office is in Fayetteville.
According to the report Henry enabled her son, Kani Johnson, Makayla Leake, and Dustin Simmons to misappropriate over $117,000 in Labor and Workforce Development grant funds while participating in the Work Experience program, which provides pay to eligible participants with employability struggles.
Investigators found that Henry fabricated timesheets for the three individuals and directed a Career Service Provider (CSP) in Bedford County to sign and approve their timesheets. All three were paid through the SCHRA’s payroll system.
Jennifer Henry’s employment with the SCHRA was terminated on November 23, 2021.
In May 2023, the Lincoln County Grand Jury indicted Jennifer Henry on eight separate counts; Kani Johnson on six separate counts; Makayla Leake on six separate counts; and Dustin Simmons on six separate counts.