On November 4, 2024, PHYLLISSHA PHYNETTE BUTLER ([DOB redacted]), "Defendant" herein, applied for childcare assistance through the Anoka County Department of Human Services - Economic Assistance (EA) office. Defendant, under penalty of perjury, signed and submitted an application for benefits in which Defendant stated that she resided with seven children on the 14600 block of Olivine Terrace NW, in the city of Ramsey, Anoka County, that there were no other adults residing in the home, and that the biological father of four of her children was "unknown." In actuality, investigators learned that D. D. G. Is the biological father of at least three of the children in the home, was in a relationship with Defendant, and has been a resident of the home since 2023. EA estimates that to date, Defendant has been overpaid benefits in the amount of $118,612.20, due to Defendant's fraudulent statements and material misrepresentations.
In her initial application from November of 2024, Defendant stated that of the seven children in the home, she was the biological mother of four, two were adopted, and she was caring for one other child whose parent was incarcerated. Defendant stated that the biological father of her four children was "Unknown." On April 22, 2025, Defendant submitted a Statement of Good Cause to EA, requesting that she not be required to cooperate in establishing paternity of those four children and collecting child support for them.
Defendant stated that the biological father of her four children, previously reported as "unknown" was in fact a person named "Carlos Alvarez," and that she and her same-sex partner had purchased his sperm and used it to impregnate her. Defendant stated that she only communicated with the sperm donor through Facebook, that attempting to contact him would increase her anxiety, and that this emotional harm would reduce her ability to adequately care for the children. On November 18, 2025, Defendant again submitted paperwork to Economic Assistance under penalty of perjury.
This time, Defendant disclosed that D. D. G. Was the biological father of her three youngest children but continued to report that he did not reside with her. Defendant continued to claim that the biological father of one of her children was unknown. In June of 2025, EA began investigating Defendant for potential fraud and to determine whether or not another adult resided in the home. Investigators learned that Defendant's address was associated with an adult male, D. D. G, in DVS records with 2 vehicles registered to D. D. G. At the Olivine Terrace address.
A now-revoked driver's license in D. D. G.'s name was issued on May 16, 2025, also using the Olivine Terrace address. Police reports showed the Olivine Terrace address was associated with D. D. G, with the most recent police contact from April 20, 2025. DEED records were obtained for D. D. G. Which showed that he had been employed during 2024 and 2025 by various employers and reported the Olivine Terrace address as his residence. On June 4, 2025, investigators drove to Defendant's home and observed that a vehicle registered to D. D. G was parked in the driveway and another vehicle registered to both D. D. G and Defendant was parked in the garage.
