Ex-GHURA landlord will plead guilty in bribery case
(Source: guampdn.com) A 51-year-old former public housing landlord signed a plea deal and is ready to admit guilt in a bribery scheme in which an ex-Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority employee accepted money from recipients of the federal Housing Choice Voucher, or Section 8, program.
The ex-landlord, Albert Buendicho, was indicted in March, along with former GHURA housing specialist Antonia Mayo-San Nicolas, 55, and Section 8…
Article
October 31, 2016
Jury Convicts Former KC Woman of Fraud Scheme to Steal Victim's Lottery Winnings
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former Kansas City, Mo., woman was convicted by a federal jury today of engaging in a fraud scheme in which she stole $440,000 in lottery winnings from her victim as part of a scheme that resulted in a total loss of more than $640,000.
Freya Pearson, 43, of Georgia, formerly of Kansas City, was found guilty of all nine counts…
Press release
October 26, 2016
Helena housing director arrested
(Source: arkansasonline.com) Lionell S. Moss, the executive director of the Helena Housing Authority, was arrested Friday on federal charges accusing him of illegally receiving $57,907 by submitting false reimbursement requests and using an agency credit card for personal expenses.
Moss, 58, appeared briefly late Friday afternoon in the Little Rock courtroom of U.S. Magistrate Judge Joe Volpe and pleaded innocent to three charges -- two…
Article
October 17, 2016
Six Individuals Charged With Participating In Large-Scale Government Benefits Fraud
(USAO ,NY) Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Mark G. Peters, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), announced today the filing of criminal charges against six defendants for participating in long-running schemes to hide substantial assets and income obtained from significant business and real estate interests in order to attain government benefits designed for…
Press release
September 27, 2016
Brooklyn 'Millionares' Busted for Stealing $1.3 Mil in Benefits, Feds Say
(Source: dnainfo.com) WILLIAMSBURG — Three Brooklyn couples, including a landlord with properties all over the borough, were arrested Tuesday on charges of defrauding the government of $1.3 million worth of benefits.
Shlomo Kubitshuk, 38, and his wife Rachel, 39, Naftali, 40, and Hinda Englander, 41, and Leib, 39, and Devorah Teitelbaum, 36, were accused of lying about their income to the federal government as far back as 2001 in order to…
Article
September 27, 2016
Former West Haven Housing Authority Employee Admits Unlawful Receipt of Funds
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOHN SANDELLA, 54, of Orange, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to receiving unlawful compensation while serving as an employee of the West Haven Housing Authority.
According to court documents and statements made in court, SANDELLA was employed as the Clerk of the Works for the West Haven Housing Authority (“…
Press release
September 14, 2016
Audit finds Annapolis housing authority mishandled grant
(Source: Capital Gazette) A federal audit has found that due to poor record-keeping and improper spending, the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis didn't always appropriately spend more than $400,000 in grants designed to help its residents improve their lives.
The Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development found the housing authority did not maintain documents to support the expenses of $401,859…
Article
September 06, 2016
Natick Attorney and Former City of Worcester Housing Official Indicted on Fraud Charges
(USAO, MA) BOSTON – A real estate developer and a former City of Worcester housing official were charged in U.S. District Court in Worcester this week in connection with a $2.3 million fraud scheme relating to the redevelopment of a multi-family property in Worcester.
James E. Levin, 57, of Natick, a real estate developer and attorney, and Jacklyn M. Sutcivni, 43, of Dracut, a former employee of the City of Worcester’s Housing Development…
Press release
August 28, 2016
Orleans Parish judge on board of directors for unsafe homes, report says
(Source: WDSU-TV NBC) NEW ORLEANS —Dangerous and unsafe living conditions for the elderly and disabled in New Orleans are coming to light in a lengthy report at Satchmo Plaza in Central City.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development issued multiple violations for an apartment complex for the elderly and disabled.
The complex has dozens of units and is operated by the Central City Housing Corp.
They said one of the people on…
Article
August 01, 2016
Former Morgan City housing authority executive director, employees sentenced for theft of half a million dollars
(Source: USAO, LA) LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that the former executive director of the Morgan City Housing Authority and three former employees were sentenced for a conspiracy related to theft of half a million dollars.
Charles E. Spann, 78, of Kingsport, Tenn., was sentenced to 36 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $111,657.47 restitution on one count of…
Press release
July 25, 2016
Former Framingham Housing Authority employee charged with $70K theft
(Source: milforddailynews.com) FRAMINGHAM – A former Framingham Housing Authority accountant, who doctored tenants' computer records and skimmed money from their rent payments, faces federal charges she stole more than $70,000 in cash over the course of a year and a half, authorities said Tuesday.
Framingham Police arrested Rosa Famania, 33, at her 6 Dennis Road, Milford, home on Tuesday on behalf of federal authorities, who had obtained a…
Article
July 20, 2016
Former Framingham Housing Authority Employee Charged
(USAO, MA) BOSTON – A Milford woman was charged today in U.S. District Court in Boston in connection with stealing over $70,000 in rent payments owed to the Framingham Housing Authority (FHA).
Rosa A. Famania, 33, was charged in a criminal complaint with one count of theft concerning a program receiving federal funds.
According to the complaint, in February 2010, Famania began working for FHA as an accounting assistant,…
Press release
July 19, 2016
Former West Haven Housing Authority Director Sentenced to Prison for Receiving $1.5 Million in Bribes
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL SIWEK, 56, of North Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 48 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for receiving approximately $1.5 million in bribes while serving as the executive director of the West Haven Housing Authority, and for failing to pay taxes on the illegal…
Press release
July 17, 2016
Former West Haven Housing Authority executive director sentenced to 4 years for conspiracy, bribery and tax evasion
HARTFORD >> Almost two years after a West Haven man waived his right to an indictment and pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy, bribery and tax evasion charges, he was sentenced in federal court to 48 months of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release.
Michael Siwek, 56, also was ordered to pay restitution of $1,503,096.91 and more than $360,000 to the IRS.
Siwek was executive director of the West Haven Housing Authority…
Article
July 17, 2016
Investigation by CHA and HUD Inspectors General ends with guilty plea and restitution to CHA by former contractor
CHICAGO – July 11, 2016 – (RealEstateRama) — The Chicago Housing Authority will receive restitution for money stolen by a former contractor and her husband after the pair pleaded guilty to stealing funds intended for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, a crime that was exposed following an investigation by the CHA’s Office of the Inspector General.
Former contractor Charlene Potts and her husband Scott Washington pleaded guilty in Cook…
Article
July 10, 2016
Seattle Area Man who Claimed Fictitious Twin Brother to Collect Additional Federal Benefits Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison
(USAO, WA) A SeaTac man who used a second identity to defraud federal and state public assistance programs for more than 20 years was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 30 months in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. TRAVIS EDWARD FISCHER, 49, lived with his girlfriend and three children in SeaTac, while also claiming benefits under the name Edward Travis Fischer in Seattle. By pretending to be two…
Press release
June 23, 2016
Glassport Woman Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Finney Funeral Home
(USAO, PA) PITTSBURGH – An Allegheny County resident has been sentenced in federal court to 18 months imprisonment followed by three years supervised release and ordered to pay $249,664.80 in restitution on her conviction of issuing forged checks, theft of government money and access device fraud, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Gustave Diamond imposed the sentence on Deborah A. Mattie, 48,…
Press release
June 02, 2016
Former Office Manager Sentenced in Fraud
(Source: Tube City Almanac) A Glassport woman will serve 18 months in prison and pay restitution of nearly $250,000 after pleading guilty to defrauding her employer and the government.
Deborah A. Mattie, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gustave Diamond, U.S. Attorney David J. Hickton said.
Mattie is a former office manager for Finney Funeral Homes, court officials said. In January, she pleaded guilty to felony counts of forging checks,…
Article
June 02, 2016
Sex Offender Sentenced for Failing to Register in Massachusetts
(Source: USAO, MA) BOSTON – A former Amherst man was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Springfield for failing to register as a sex offender, his fifth conviction for violating his registration obligations.
Jose Dones, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 30 months in prison and seven years of supervised release. In January 2016, Dones pleaded guilty to one count of failing to register as a sex…
Press release
May 11, 2016
Former Roxse Homes Workers Plead Guilty to Taking Bribes
(Source: USAO, MA) Disctrict of Two former employees of Roxse Homes, a subsidized housing development in Boston, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Boston in connection with a scheme to rent apartments at the housing development to individuals who were not qualified in exchange for cash bribes.
Mathis Lemons, 42, of Brockton, pleaded guilty today and Ismael Morales, 36, of Jamaica Plain, pleaded guilty on Monday, May 2, 2016 to one count…
Press release
May 10, 2016