A home day care owner in Boston, Massachusetts, was reportedly allowed to retain her license after being indicted in a federal drug case.

A source from the agency that regulates the state’s day cares made the claim recently to Boston 25 News, the outlet reported on Monday.

The anonymous source also claimed that in 2022, officials gave the day care owner, Jenny Vicente-Desoto, a “discretionary” background check approval.

According to the outlet, “‘Discretionary’ background check approvals can be granted to childcare providers found to have criminal records or supported findings of child abuse or neglect from the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF).”

The woman ran the day care for several years after being indicted in federal court in Rhode Island for allegedly taking part in a drug operation which involved cocaine and fentanyl from Mexico.

However, according to the Boston 25 News report:

The Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) disputes that Vicente-Desoto’s criminal charge appeared in a background record check. A spokesperson said law enforcement first notified the agency of the drug case in early 2024, and EEC took immediate action against Vicente-Desoto’s license. Her daycare has since closed.

The Massachusetts government website says the EEC requires “rigorous and thorough” background checks “to ensure the safety of children in early education & care programs.”

Meanwhile, the Boston 25 News report also said:

25 Investigates discovered that 500 home daycare providers with open or closed criminal cases have passed EEC background checks since 2020, according to data obtained through a public records request. The request sought the number of “discretionary” background check approvals granted to licensed providers with criminal records in 2 of the 5 regions EEC oversees statewide. The Northeast and Greater Boston regions cover most of the eastern part of Massachusetts but exclude Cape Cod.

In New York, two people were arrested in September in connection with the suspected fentanyl death of a one-year-old at a day care in the Bronx, Breitbart News reported, noting the facility was allegedly a front for drug trafficking.

In 2022, a day care owner in Virginia was arrested after three babies who went to the day care were allegedly exposed to THC, which is the “main psychoactive compound in cannabis,” per Breitbart News.

When officers searched the facility, they found goldfish-shaped crackers near the high chairs, which testing reportedly showed contained THC.