An investigation conducted by the Indiana Office of Inspector General has resulted in a criminal conviction and sentence for a former family case manager at the Indiana Department of Child Services.
Sylvia Mbilo Mundala, a family case manager for DCS from February 2021 to August 2024, pled guilty in Marion Superior Court to official misconduct, a Level 6 crime. As part of a plea agreement, the judgment was entered as a Class A misdemeanor, and the underlying misdemeanor charge of fabricating child abuse or neglect information or records was dropped.
On August 4, 2026, Marion County Superior Court Judge Helen W. Marchal sentenced Mandula to 365 days in jail. She reduced the sentence to four days served, 180 days on probation, and completion of a reform education program.
The OIG inquiry discovered that Mundala falsely documented in the state’s DCS case management system that she had completed mandated face-to-face meetings with children and families, which did not occur. Investigators interviewed family members and obtained cell phone location data, images, and text messages that contradicted Mundala’s visit notes.
“Working closely with DCS to establish the facts, our investigators were able to present a strong case to the prosecutor, who carried it all the way to a sentence,” said Indiana Inspector General Jared Prentice. “When a case manager falsifies records, it puts children at risk and undermines the integrity of the entire child welfare system—and that cannot stand without severe consequences.”
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