WASHINGTON DC— Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued an audit report about HUD’s compliance with the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 (PIIA).  Congress enacted the PIIA in March 2020 to safeguard Federal funds by reducing payments made for an incorrect amount under statutory, contractual, administrative, or other legally applicable requirements.   The law…

The Justice Department today announced the launch of the Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) Environmental Crimes Task Force to investigate and prosecute violations of federal law harming the environment, wildlife and human health, and associated fraud, waste and abuse in the region. The creation of the task force comes one year after the Justice Department announced  its Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy…

WASHINGTON DC— Today, the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General issued an evaluation report about HUD’s processes for monitoring children with elevated blood lead levels (EBLL) and lead-based paint hazards in public housing.The evaluation examined HUD’s processes for addressing cases of EBLLs in children residing in public housing determined the effectiveness of two trackers that HUD uses to ensure appropriate action is…

      WASHINGTON DC — Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis issues the following statement on the issuance of notification of inquiry to the Department concerning the circumstances resulting in the relocation of residents at Peppertree Apartments: “Promoting safety in HUD housing is a top priority for my office. Everyone deserves to live in a decent, safe, and sanitary home without the fear of being exposed to safety hazards that…

PROVIDENCE – A North Providence woman convicted of defrauding multiple publicly-funded programs was sentenced on Tuesday to eighteen months in federal prison for making false statements when applying for a Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-backed mortgage, a Small Business Association (SBA) loan, and for fraudulently applying for government-funded COVID unemployment benefits, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. In March 2022,…

PROVIDENCE – A North Providence woman today admitted in federal court that she provided false information to a mortgage lender when applying for a Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-backed mortgage, and that she fraudulently applied for a COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and unemployment insurance benefits under both the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act…

Each year, in compliance with Public Law 106-531, the Reports Consolidation Act of 2000, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG), issues a report summarizing what we consider the most serious management challenges facing the Department.

PROVIDENCE – A former bookkeeper/office manager who admitted to embezzling more than $740,000 from a Rhode Island law firm that employed her, fraudulently collecting nearly $20,000 in temporary disability insurance payments, and filing fraudulent documents when applying for a mortgage from a Rhode Island bank, was sentenced today to five years in federal prison. According to court documents, Sarah Gaulin, 39, a former employee of the law firm…

PROVIDENCE – A Johnston-based real estate investment firm, the company’s founder, and a person who held himself out to be a negotiator on behalf of financially distressed homeowners but who was, in reality, associated with the real estate investment firm, have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges they participated in a series of schemes to defraud homeowners and financial institutions. It is alleged in the indictment that members of…

Through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Congress has provided over $12 billion to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to assist homeowners, renters, landlords, and impacted communities. HUD Office of Inspector General (OIG) has developed a framework of five key oversight areas to guide our work.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The mastermind of a mortgage fraud scheme that defrauded financially distressed homeowners, investors, and financial institutions of nearly $1.5 million dollars was sentenced today to more than 13 years in federal prison. Hasan Hussain, 57, of Princeton, N.J., masterminded a scheme that defrauded distressed homeowners, investors, and financial institutions of fees, rental income, mortgage payment funds, property ownership and…