Background: Grant Superior Court 2 in Marion, Ind. (Google Maps). Inset: Alanna Lin Brown (Grant County Sheriff's Office).
An Indiana woman has been charged with fraud and child neglect after authorities said she had a feeding tube inserted into her daughter for the sole purpose of getting money for it.
Alanna Lin Brown, 32, is out on bail after police said she defrauded a local organization by claiming her toddler needed a feeding tube. According to court documents obtained by local Fox affiliate WXIN, Brown brought her young daughter to the emergency room in April, claiming the little girl was aspirating when she ate and needed a feeding tube. The 3-year-old girl was reportedly diagnosed with moderate malnutrition.
But the girl's father, who worked in child care and was a preschool teacher, raised doubts that his daughter had any trouble eating normally.
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According to the court documents, investigators spoke with people who knew Brown and had their own doubts about her daughter's purported health problems, which Brown claimed had been going on since the girl was 3 months old. One friend told police that Brown's daughter "didn't have to be" on a feeding tube and reportedly ate a meal at McDonald's with no issues. The same friend also alleged that Brown had taken payments from a local organization that provided assistance to children and senior citizens with medical issues.
Court documents stated that Brown allegedly accepted $96,688.44 from the organization, identified as LifeStream Services by WXIN reporter Angela Ganote, over the course of 22 months.
Police said in the affidavit that Brown was caught on video "upset and complaining about her financial situation if (the child) were taken off the feeding tube." A Ring camera allegedly recorded Brown saying, "Now, I got to refigure my bills… because I'm not going to lose a f—ing payment from her so she can eat."
The girl's father told police that he did not think the toddler needed a feeding tube, but also said that Brown did not allow him to attend doctor's appointments for the girl. According to court documents, he told police that when his daughter was in his custody for 10 days back in March, she not only ate without the tube the whole time, but she gained weight.
Police spoke to a doctor who had provided care for the girl and raised concerns about Brown's alleged treatment of the girl, explaining that in Brown's care, the girl continued to lose weight. When the girl was removed from Brown's care in October, she reportedly started gaining weight.
Authorities alleged that Brown lied about her daughter's condition in order to receive money. Brown was charged with fraud and neglect of a dependent causing bodily injury. She posted $2,000 bail after being booked into the Grant County Jail. Her next court date is scheduled for Dec. 5.