Deal targets child center

The boyfriend of an employee at a controversial day-care business has accepted a plea deal with federal prosecutors and has agreed to help federal officials in its case against the owner and associates of the Small Wonders Child Development Center.

During a hearing in U.S. District Court on Wednesday, Jason Trevor Scharf, 33, entered a plea of guilty to one count of health-care fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. When sentenced, Scharf faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for fraud and two years for identity theft.

Scharf admitted to using stolen personal information to use another man's health insurance policy so he could receive surgery on his wrist. The cost was estimated at $1,624.

Federal prosecutors say Scharf was part of a larger health-care fraud scheme connected to the owner and associates of the Herriman-based Small Wonders center.

Last September, a federal grand jury handed down indictments against owner Michaele Muree Meier, 32 and business associates Brandy Lee Essary, Leslie Suzanne Zimmerman and Tanya Lee Robertson. At the time, Scharf was Robertson's boyfriend.

The indictment charges the five with a variety of fraud and identity theft schemes. Among them, federal prosecutors claim Meier used the identity of another person to secure funding to purchase $19,512 in playground equipment.

The Small Wonders center made news earlier when state health officials forced the center's closure due to allegations of abuse and fraud.

When the state yanked the center's license, Meier was caught continuing to run the business without a license. Federal prosecutors claim Meier devised a scheme to prepay her employees with checks that she later planned to claim under bankruptcy.

Charges also state Meier helped Scharf with his wrist surgery. Meier also allegedly allowed her sister, Zimmerman, to use Meier's health insurance coverage through her husband to have dental work done. Meier is also accused of trying to fraudulently obtain $15,000 from a homeowners insurance policy by reporting a home burglary.

The controversy began when Small Wonders, 5724 W. 13400 South, had its license pulled by state officials. Among reasons health department officials cited were the center's failure to conduct background checks and submitting forged criminal background checks. Two employees would not have passed a criminal check.