We audited the State of Colorado (State), Division of Housing's (Division) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program to determine whether the Division (1) awarded CDBG funds to ineligible projects and (2) properly identified and reported program income data. The Division used CDBG funds for ineligible and questionable projects. This condition occurred because management's main focus was on selecting projects that were for the…

We audited the mortgage origination and business practices of the First Magnus Financial Corporation’s (First Magnus) corporate office in Tucson, Arizona. The objective of the audit was to determine whether First Magnus violated U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirements by paying builders and real estate companies marketing fees and non-competition fees in exchange for the referral of Federal Housing Administration (…

We audited the mortgage origination and business practices of First Magnus Financial Corporation’s (First Magnus) corporate office in Tucson, Arizona. The objective of the audit was to determine whether First Magnus violated U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirements by paying its brokers volume-based incentives for originating and processing Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgages. We determined that First…

We audited the City of Phoenix Housing Department’s (Housing Department) Housing Choice Voucher program. We conducted the audit as part of the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) annual plan. The Housing Department was selected for review because it is the largest housing authority in the state of Arizona and had not previously been audited by OIG. The objective of the audit was to determine whether the Housing Department supported tenant…

We audited the Housing Authority of the City of Eloy (Authority) because the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) had rated the Authority as troubled for five years. In 2007, the Authority had significant financials problems and terminated its executive director. We determined that the Authority did not have adequate internal controls to safeguard assets and reasonably ensure that HUD funds were used in accordance with…

We audited the Housing Authority of the City of Brighton, Colorado (Authority) in response to a complaint alleging that it did not have an inventory control system and that it used poor procurement practices. Our audit objectives were to determine whether the Authority had an adequate inventory control system and whether it performed contracting activities in accordance with federal procurement requirements. The Authority did not have complete…

HUD-OIG audited the Housing Authority of the City of Colorado Springs, Colorado in response to an anonymous complaint alleging that it improperly awarded all contracts for rehabilitation services to the same bidder, did not properly maintain its waiting list, and inappropriately awarded new Section 8 housing choice vouchers. Our audit objectives were to determine whether the Authority followed federal procurement requirements and its own…

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Savannah Sandoval, 36, of Camp Verde, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Steven P. Logan to 24 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Sandoval also was ordered to pay over $650,000 in restitution. Sandoval pleaded guilty on August 9, 2023, to Embezzlement and Theft from an Indian Tribal Organization.Between August 2017 and May 2022, Sandoval, the former Comptroller and Executive…

DENVER – United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn announced today that Michael Scott Leslie, age 57, of Boulder, Colorado, pleaded guilty to federal bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charges.  Leslie appeared remotely on a $50,000 unsecured bond, which was continued at the hearing’s conclusion.  The Denver office of the FBI, and the Offices of the Inspector General for both the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and…