Georgia man sentenced to prison for COVID-19 relief fraud two years after being sentenced by the same court for mortgage fraud
ATLANTA - Maurice Lawson has been sentenced to federal prison for obtaining nearly a half a million dollars by submitting multiple fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) applications.
“Congress enacted the Paycheck Protection Program to provide Read More
Agosto 16, 2023
News
Press Release
San Francisco Man Charged With Stealing More Than $340,000 In Section 8 Housing Benefits
SAN FRANCISCO - A federal grand jury in San Francisco indicted Gregory Finkelson with conspiracy, theft of government property, and money laundering, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp, United States Department Read More
Julio 26, 2023
News
Press Release
Disaster Recovery Data Portal
We recommend that the General Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Policy Development and Research, and the Deputy Chief Information Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer develop the project management documents, as required by HUD’s Project Planning and Management Life Cycle V2.0 Read More
Open Recommendation
Disaster Recovery Data Portal
We recommend that the General Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Policy Development and Research; the Deputy Chief Information Officer; and the Director, Office of Disaster Recovery, identify and incorporate at least one additional data source into the Disaster Recovery Data Portal to further Read More
Open Recommendation
State of California, 2018 Disasters Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program
We recommend that the Director of the Office of Disaster Recovery require the State to implement policies and procedures that require maintaining documentation to ensure it can support compliance for the installation of 36-inch roof valley flashing.
Open Recommendation
State of California, 2018 Disasters Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program
We recommend that the Director of the Office of Disaster Recovery require the State to determine if the proper roof valley flashing was installed on the completed and in progress homes, and if not, require the State to install the correct roof valley flashing using non-Federal funds.
Open Recommendation
State of California, 2018 Disasters Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program
We recommend that the Director of the Office of Disaster Recovery require the State to enhance the system used to estimate costs, to include the Wildland-Urban Interface Code required roof valley flashing, or document in the system and its output the different materials and costs used.
Open Recommendation
State of California, 2018 Disasters Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program
We recommend that the Director of the Office of Disaster Recovery require the State to develop and implement a policy to identify ownership and primary residency earlier in the review process and potential red flags in documentation.
Open Recommendation
State of California, 2018 Disasters Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program
We recommend that the Director of the Office of Disaster Recovery require the State to document and support its decision regarding duplication of benefits and income verification for additional owners of the property under an application.
Open Recommendation
Former Islamic Center Director Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling Funds, Committing Fraud
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The former director of a local Islamic center was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to four months in prison then four months in a halfway house followed by 12 months of home confinement for embezzling funds from the mosque, defrauding public housing, and filing for fraudulent Read More
Agosto 10, 2023
News
Press Release
Mortgage Rescue Scams Following a Disaster
Natural disasters affect millions of Americans each year. Homeowners who experience a temporary or permanent loss of income due to a natural disaster or an increase in expenses post-disaster may be financially vulnerable, making it difficult for them to make mortgage payments.
Agosto 10, 2023
News
Video Library
Mortgage Rescue Scams Following a Disaster
Natural disasters affect millions of Americans each year. Homeowners who experience a temporary or permanent loss of income due to a natural disaster or an increase in expenses post-disaster may be financially vulnerable, making it difficult for them to make mortgage payments. View the video. Read More
Fraud Bulletins or Alert
Three Board Members of Failed Washington Federal Bank in Chicago Guilty of Falsifying Records and Obstructing Regulators
CHICAGO — Three former board members of the failed Washington Federal Bank for Savings in Chicago have pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiring to falsify bank records to deceive the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
WILLIAM M. MAHON, 56, of Chicago, and GEORGE F. KOZDEMBA, 73, of Read More
Agosto 08, 2023
News
Press Release
Property Manager for Senior Residential Buildings Pleads Guilty to Financial Exploitation of Two Elderly District Residents
WASHINGTON – Nicole Freeman Smith, 51, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, pleaded guilty today in Superior Court to one felony count and one misdemeanor count of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult or elderly person (FEVA) for stealing more than $133,000 from two elderly District residents Read More
Agosto 02, 2023
News
Press Release
Audra Dortch
Audra Dortch was appointed Assistant Inspector General for Investigation (AIGI) for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG) on January 2, 2024. As AIGI for OI, Ms. Dortch oversees all investigative field operations across the country. Ms. Read More
Staff
HUD’s Assistance and Grantee Challenges With the Office of Native American Programs’ COVID-19 Recovery Programs
We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Native American Programs’ (ONAP) coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) recovery programs. We performed this audit to provide HUD with insight and a nationwide perspective on the challenges that grantees Read More
Julio 28, 2023
Report
#2023-LA-0005
Disaster Recovery Data Portal
We performed an audit related to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Disaster Recovery Data Portal. The Disaster Recovery Data Portal is a technological solution planned by HUD to facilitate the rapid and secure transmission of data from the Federal Emergency Read More
Julio 21, 2023
Report
#2023-FW-0003
HUD’s Measurement of Held Vacant Loan Sales (HVLS) Mission Objectives
HUD OIG is auditing the Office of Asset Sales’ HUD-Held Vacant Loan Sales (HLVS) program, which is another disposition option for defaulted, formerly FHA single-family reverse mortgage loans owned and competitively auctioned by HUD to reduce losses and improve recoveries to FHA’s Mutual Mortgage Read More
Julio 01, 2023
Work Start Notification
#KC 23 0011
Former Housing Authority Executive Director Sentenced to Federal Prison for Using Funds for Personal Expenses
BENTON, Ill. – A U.S. district judge sentenced the former executive director of the Jefferson County Housing Authority to spend 10 months in federal prison after he converted more than $20,000 in authority funds for personal expenses.
In addition to the prison sentence, Thomas J. Upchurch, 53 Read More
Junio 30, 2023
News
Press Release
Property Company Owner Sentenced to Prison for Rental AssistanceFraud
DAYTON, Ohio – A Tipp City man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 18 months in prison for defrauding a local non-profit organization. He was also ordered to pay $94,942 in restitution.
Antoine Draines, 43, defrauded Miami Valley Community Action Partnership (MVCAP) of rental assistance Read More
Julio 18, 2023
News
Press Release