STROUDSBURG, Pa. -- Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro has charged six people with taking more than $336,000 in state grants from a job-training program.
Authorities say John Marino, 56, of Stroudsburg was the ringleader in a scheme to use fake businesses to get the grant money.
Investigators said the companies are registered with the Pennsylvania Department of State, but they did not have any employees or conduct any type of business.
The businesses in question are YKT Corp, Pocono Developers, R 1 Incorporated, Top Don Tools, and Tamray Technologies.
John and Donna Marino, 58, of Stroudsburg, along with their daughter Kinchasa Donald, 38, of East Stroudsburg, are also accused of fraudulently receiving welfare money since 2012.
The three others charged in the job-training scheme are Lovell Rodgers, 53, of Tobyhanna, Patricia McCue, 67, of Staten Island, New York, and Darren Donald, 47, of East Stroudsburg.
The defendants are charged with dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity, corrupt organizations, criminal conspiracy, theft by deception, tampering with public records, and other felony and misdemeanor offenses.
A preliminary hearing for all six defendants is scheduled for May 23.