We audited the City of Hartford, Connecticut's (City) administration of its Housing Choice Voucher program (Voucher program) as part of our annual audit plan. Our overall audit objective was to determine whether the City properly administered its Voucher program in compliance with its annual contributions contracts and HUD regulations. The City generally administered its Voucher program in compliance with its annual contributions contracts and…

We audited Bethany Towers Apartments as part of our annual goal for auditing multifamily projects and in response to a request from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Tampa, Florida, Multifamily Division. We focused the audit on the nonprofit owner's and management agents' compliance with the project's regulatory agreement, applicable laws, and other HUD requirements pertaining to the sale and transfer of ownership…

HUD OIG audited the Miami Dade Housing Agency (Agency) capital fund program. The objective of the audit was to determine whether the Agency used capital fund program drawdowns in accordance with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirements. The Agency did not use capital fund program drawdowns in accordance with HUD requirements. The Agency's internal controls over capital fund program drawdowns from HUD were inadequate.…

We audited the City of Jacksonville/Duval County's (City) HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) as part of our annual audit plan. We selected the City because it had the largest funded program in northern Florida and other risk factors. Our audit objectives were to determine whether the City administered its HOME program in accordance with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) requirements concerning the (1)…

We initiated this audit as part of the audit plan to determine whether the State of Connecticut Department of Social Services (agency) properly administered its Housing Choice Voucher program (Voucher program) in compliance with its annual contributions contracts and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations. Our objectives were to determine whether the agency (1) adequately (95 percent or more) leased up its Voucher…

We audited the Milford, Connecticut, branch office of Countrywide Bank, FSB (Countrywide), which is a supervised national bank approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to originate, underwrite, and service Federal Housing Administration (FHA) single-family insured loans. We selected the Milford, Connecticut, branch office largely based on a lender risk analysis, which showed that the loans it originated had a…

HUD-OIG audited the Miami Dade Housing Agency (Agency) capital fund program. The objective of the audit was to determine whether the Agency had adequate controls to ensure that contracts were awarded in accordance with regulations and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirements. The Agency did not have adequate controls to ensure that contracts were awarded in accordance with regulations and HUD requirements. It did not…

HUD OIG performed a corrective action verification of the audit recommendations cited in the audit report, Miami-Dade Housing Agency (Agency) Did Not Ensure Section 8-Assisted Units Met Housing Quality Standards (2006-AT-1001) issued December 21, 2005. The purpose of the corrective action verification was to determine if the selected audit recommendations were implemented and the deficiencies reported in the audit report corrected. The Agency…

We audited Vesta Windham Heights, LLC (Windham Heights), after completing an audit of the owners' related project, Vesta Moosup, LLC (Moosup Gardens). The Moosup Gardens audit (OIG Audit Report Number 2007-BO-1006) disclosed cost exceptions totaling more than $700,000 related to unauthorized distributions and repayments of owner advances while in a non-surplus-cash position and unreasonable payments to identity-of-interest (related) companies.…

We audited Vesta Mohegan, LLC (Mohegan Commons), after completing an audit of the owners' related project, Vesta Moosup, LLC (Moosup Gardens). The Moosup Gardens audit (OIG Audit Report Number 2007-BO-1006) disclosed cost exceptions totaling more than $700,000 related to unauthorized distributions and repayments of owner advances while in a non-surplus-cash position and unreasonable payments to identity-of-interest (related) companies. Our…

HUD OIG audited the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program administered by the City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida (City). The objective of the audit was to determine whether the City administered its CDBG program in accordance with applicable U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirements. The City did not administer its CDBG program in accordance with applicable HUD requirements. It did not provide supporting…

HUD OIG audited the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program administered by the City of West Palm Beach, Florida (City). The objective of the audit was to determine whether the City administered its CDBG program in accordance with applicable U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirements. The City failed to properly administer its CDBG program in accordance with HUD requirements. Specifically, the City was…

We reviewed the City of Jacksonville/County of Duval, Florida's (City) Community Development Block Grant program (CDBG). We conducted the review as part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of the Inspector General's annual audit plan. Our objectives were to determine whether the City complied with CDBG regulations and requirements related to (a) use of competition when purchasing goods and services, (b)…

We audited the Cathedral Foundation of Jacksonville, Inc. (Foundation), concerning its involvement as owner and/or manager of four elderly multifamily housing projects (projects) located in Jacksonville, Florida. We conducted the audit based on a request from the Jacksonville Multifamily Housing Hub, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Jacksonville, Florida. Our audit objective was to determine whether the Foundation…

We audited the records for Moosup Gardens Apartments (project), a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-insured multifamily project in response to a request from HUD. Our audit objective was to determine whether the project's costs were accurately reported to HUD and in accordance with the regulatory agreement and HUD's requirements. We identified questioned costs and opportunities for funds to be put to better use totaling…

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Carlos Calderon (56, Clermont) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Calderon faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.According to the plea agreement and court proceedings, Calderon and others conspired to create and execute a mortgage fraud scheme targeting financial institutions. To ensure that…

Orlando, FL – United States District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Maria Del Carmen Montes (48, Kissimmee) to 33 months in federal prison for bank fraud. Montes pleaded guilty on January 4, 2024. According to court documents, Montes, co-conspirator Carlos Ferrer, and others created and executed a mortgage fraud scheme targeting financial institutions. Montes assisted clients with purchasing homes and, after signing the real…

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that two New York men were sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford for engaging in a wide-ranging mortgage fraud scheme involving 24 mortgage loans on numerous multifamily housing properties in Hartford totaling nearly $50 million.  JACOB DEUTSCH, 58, of Brooklyn, was sentenced to 62 months of imprisonment and four years of…

Orlando, FL –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Maria Del Carmen Montes (46, Kissimmee) has pleaded guilty to three counts of bank fraud. Each bank fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. Montes was indicted, along with coconspirator Carlos Ferrer, on July 20, 2022.According to the plea agreement, Montes, coconspirator Ferrer, and others created and executed a mortgage fraud scheme targeting…

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul Byron has sentenced Omayra Ujaque (52, St. Cloud) to two years and eight months in federal prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Ujaque was convicted at trial on April 13, 2023. According to evidence presented at trial, Ujaque, in her capacity as a licensed mortgage loan officer, created and executed a mortgage fraud scheme targeting the financial institution where she worked. To…