A former state social worker is accused of arranging a scheme to pay fake foster care clients more than $3 million in state funding, some of which the worker received in kickbacks and spent for personal uses, including gambling.

Shauntele Pridgeon, who worked for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services as a community social service planner in Chicago, fraudulently approved 14 people to be foster care parents between 2016 and 2022, according to the indictment unsealed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court of Chicago.

She funneled at least $3.2 million in state funds to her 14 co-defendants as supposed payments for childcare services despite Pridgeon and the clients knowing they wouldn’t be caring for foster children, the indictment alleges.

Most of the 15 defendants, all charged with wire fraud, were arrested Wednesday and have made an initial court appearances.

Pridgeon received about $1.6 million in the form of bribes and kickbacks from the fake clients, which she spent on personal expenses, including gambling losses at a casino in Hammond, Indiana, federal prosecutors said.

Latasha Thomas, one of the fraudulent foster parents, also collected around $1.6 million, officials said.

Meanwhile, checks to Ronnie Webb, who received nearly $230,000, were sent to his home address, paid out to a fake company called Webb Feet Child Care Inc., the indictment states.