Maryland Attorney General (AG) Anthony G. Brown has announced the sentencing of a former childcare center owner in three different cases.
On March 20, officials announced that 42-year-old Jonathan Tarrell Smalls of Pennsylvania was sentenced to four years in prison, which will begin once he completes an unrelated sentence he is now serving. Smalls will be released from custody and placed on supervised probation for five years. He must additionally reimburse a total of $2,760,036 to the State of Maryland.
“While Maryland families struggled to afford childcare, Jonathan Smalls was pocketing millions in scholarship payments, driving Bentleys, and owning properties in multiple states,” the attorney general stated. “This sentence sends a clear message that our office will pursue anyone who steals from Maryland’s children and the families who depend on these programs.”
Between 2014 and 2024, Smalls fraudulently collected more than $2.5 million from the State of Maryland by concealing his ownership of several childcare businesses in Baltimore. Smalls’ scam began when the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) canceled his daycare certificate of registration and refused to license any facilities in which he worked. Smalls took on many fictitious identities and hid his involvement in several daycare institutions to continue operating and receiving state monies reserved for certified providers. These facilities not only operated under fake permits, but they also filed falsified attendance data in order to receive bigger state payments.
Smalls’ indictment describes an event in February 2028 in which an MSDE site visit revealed only 12 children in attendance on the same day 51 kids were allegedly present. More recently, in October 2023, another institution surreptitiously managed by Smalls billed the state for more than 20 children, but an MSDE site visit discovered that the facility had been closed and no children were present.
In a second case, Smalls falsely obtained Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Maryland Medical Assistance Program benefits by lying about his address and income. Despite moving to Pennsylvania, Smalls continued to obtain medical assistance and SNAP benefits from Maryland by lying on his applications. Smalls also severely underreported his income to qualify for benefits, while owning houses in numerous states and driving expensive vehicles.
Friday’s sentencing followed Smalls’ guilty plea, which was submitted on March 28, 2025. He pleaded guilty to felony theft over $100,000, felony theft between $25,000 and $100,000, and filing a fraudulent tax return. The case was investigated and prosecuted by the AG’s Fraud and Corruption Unit in the Criminal Division.
“Children and families rely on childcare providers who adhere to our standards and use public funds responsibly,” said State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carey M. Wright. a”We appreciate the Maryland Office of the Attorney General’s work on this issue. MSDE remains committed to vigorous oversight, maintaining the integrity of the Child Care Scholarship Program, and ensuring every dollar goes towards safe, high-quality care for Maryland’s children.”
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