Also Admits Role in Fraudulent $20,000 Home Rehabilitation Loan Scheme (Source: USAO, NJ) NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey, man today admitted using excessive force during an arrest, falsifying records in an attempt to conceal his conduct and helping a relative fraudulently obtain a home rehabilitation loan, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced. Domenico Lillo, 45, of Bayonne, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge…

(Source: USAO, MA) BOSTON – Two former Roxse Homes employees were arrested today on charges that they conspired to rent apartments at the housing development in Roxbury to individuals who were not qualified for those apartments, in exchange for cash bribes.  Mathis Lemons, 41, of Brockton, and Ismael Morales, 35, of Jamaica Plain, were indicted on one count of conspiracy and seven counts of bribery.  The Indictment alleges that…

(Source: Victoria Advocate) A damning audit showing the Victoria Housing Authority mismanaged more than $780,000 of federal money could result in criminal charges. "This is not surprising, and I think that is a very conservative number," Criminal District Attorney Stephen Tyler said Friday. Mayor Paul Polasek added: "I'm very disturbed by these allegations." The Victoria Housing Authority's former Chief Financial Officer Dolores Garza, current…

(Source: USAO, CT) Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANDREW ROSS, 58, of New Haven, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to paying nearly $350,000 in bribes to the former executive director of the West Haven Housing Authority in exchange for government contracts and business. According to court documents and statements…

(Source: USAO, DC) WASHINGTON – Nine individuals have been sentenced on federal charges stemming from a mortgage fraud scheme involving 45 properties and $16 million in mortgage loans used for the purchase of residential real estate in the District of Columbia and Maryland. The sentences were announced today by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr.; Olga Acevedo, Special Agent in Charge of the Mid-Atlantic Region, Office of the Inspector…

CLEVELAND, Ohio — A former program manager for the Parma Public Housing Agency was sentenced Thursday to 16 months in federal prison for stealing $232,000 over six years. Amy Belz, 34, who is free on bond while she awaits a date to report to prison, tearfully apologized to the judge and her family during the sentencing hearing. She cited the effect on her two daughters. "Because of me, their lives were turned upside down," Belz said. In handing…

(Source: kens5.com) SAN ANTONIO – The embattled executive director of the Housing Authority of Bexar County has resigned, months after a federal audit found the agency misused more than $583,000 in funds. Albert “Buddy” Aleman resigned Aug. 19, effective immediately, a county spokeswoman said. Aleman’s resignation comes less than two months after Judge Nelson Wolff publicly called for his dismissal, and while the agency actively looked to find…

WASHINGTON – Edward Dacy, 77, most recently of West Melbourne, Fla., was sentenced today to six years in prison on charges stemming from a multi-million dollar mortgage fraud scheme involving 45 properties and $16 million in mortgage loans used for the purchase of residential real estate in the District of Columbia and Maryland. The sentencing was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr.; Olga Acevedo, Special…

(Source: Pacific Daily News) Federal subpoenas were delivered Friday to the Guam Housing and Renewal Authority’s main office, GHURA management confirmed Monday. Albert Santos, GHURA’s interim executive director while Mike Duenas is off island, said while he can confirm subpoenas were served, he couldn’t disclose who was subpoenaed and what information was sought. The U.S. Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C., issued the subpoenas,…

(Source: Miami Herald) The Miami-based Carlisle Development Group, once the state’s biggest developer of affordable housing, had a reputation for building some of South Florida’s finest low-income apartments — including a tower in the historic black neighborhood of Overtown with after-school care and computer labs. What no one knew was that its once-lauded leaders, principals Matthew Greer and Lloyd Boggio, stole tens of millions of dollars in…

NEWARK N.J. – A Nutley, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for his role in a massive mortgage fraud scheme involving multiple properties in Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced. Kenneth Sweetman, 34, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution. Judge…

CHICAGO—A west suburban real estate broker was sentenced today to 16 months in federal prison for his role in a mortgage fraud scheme involving a pair of Chicago apartment buildings. GEORGE DRAVILAS, 37, of Medinah, pleaded guilty in February to one count of bank fraud. In addition to the prison term, United States District Judge Gary Feinerman ordered Dravilas to pay $463,110 in restitution. Judge Feinerman ordered Dravilas to begin serving…

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MALGORZATA KARAS-GOLKA, also known as “Margaret,” 46, of Newington, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for her role in an extensive mortgage fraud conspiracy.  She was also ordered to pay $166,500 in restitution. According to court documents and…

St. Louis, MO – John York was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States through his business, The Mortgage Store, Inc., in 2008. According to court documents, York was a part owner of The Mortgage Store, Inc. (TMS) and the president of Title America. By 2008, TMS was a major mortgage brokering business with offices in four states and hundreds of employees. The main offices were in Westport…

Earlier today, federal agents arrested Stacey Stackhouse, the former executive director of Village of Hempstead Housing Authority (VHHA) and James Alimonos, Michael Lambros, and Demetrios Kaouris, who performed construction work for the agency, for their involvement in a wire fraud conspiracy in connection with the theft of federal funds. The defendants are scheduled to appear this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge A. Kathleen…

A former Chelsea Housing Authority manager and a consultant face possible prison sentences after being found guilty on Wednesday of conspiring to defraud the government by rigging biennial federal inspections of apartments to make sure the housing agency received a high performance rating. “This ends another chapter in holding accountable those who engaged in the extensive abuse of the public trust at the housing authority,” said Thomas K.…

WASHINGTON – Edward Dacy, 76, most recently of West Melbourne, Fla., has been found guilty by a jury of 10 counts of conspiracy, bank fraud, and mail fraud stemming from a multi-million dollar mortgage fraud scheme involving 45 properties and $16 million in mortgage loans used for the purchase of residential real estate in the District of Columbia and Maryland. The verdict, returned March 25, 2015, was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent…

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Edgar Tibakweitira, a/k/a “Edgar Julian,” “Charles Edgar Tibakweitira,” and “Edgar Gaudious Tibakweitira,” age 46, of Severn, Maryland,  today to 57 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, arising from a residential mortgage fraud scheme.  Judge Hazel also ordered Tibakweitira…

The Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority paid $211,216 for outside legal services that should have been performed by the authority’s in-house lawyer, according to a federal audit that was undertaken a year ago in response to an anonymous hotline complaint. The audit renewed tenant claims that the authority wastes money on outside law firms, money that could be better spent providing services to residents. However, in response to that same…

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted Alberic Okou Agodio, age 30, of Bethesda, Maryland, on charges arising from a mortgage fraud scheme in which he used the names of immigrants and students, along with false financial information, to obtain approximately $3.8 million in home mortgage loans to buy approximately three dozen row houses in Baltimore, all of which are in default or foreclosure. The indictment was returned on…