Orchard Court Multifamily Project, Located in Bath, Maine, Was Not Properly Managed in Accordance with HUD Regulations
We audited the Orchard Court project, located in Bath, Maine, in response to a referral received by the Office of Inspector General's (OIG) Office of Investigation (Region 1). The referral indicated a potential inappropriate use of project funds by the Orchard Court Housing Corporation (project owner) and/or the management agent. Our overall objective was to determine whether the project owner and/or management agents operated the project…
November 05, 2008
Report
#2009-BO-1002
Peoples Bank Did Not Follow HUD’s Requirements When Underwriting Nine FHA Loans and Implementing Its Quality Control Program
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Inspector General reviewed 23 Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans underwritten by Peoples Bank of Overland Park , Kansas . Our audit objectives were to determine whether Peoples Bank followed HUD requirements for (1) borrower eligibility and creditworthiness and property eligibility when underwriting loans and (2) implementing a quality control program. We concluded that…
August 20, 2008
Report
#2008-KC-1004
The Maine State Housing Authority, Augusta, Maine, Needs to Improve Controls over Its Administration of the HOME Program
We audited the HOME Investment Partnerships program (HOME) administered by the Maine State Housing Authority, Augusta, Maine (Authority), as part of our annual audit plan. The Authority received more than $21 million in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding for its federal HOME program from 2005 to 2007. Our audit objective was to determine whether the Authority administered its HOME program in compliance with HUD…
January 17, 2008
Report
#2008-BO-1003
Former HUD Property Manager Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement
Kelly Ballinger wrote her name on rent payments, altered renters’ incomes to steal fundsPORTLAND, Maine: A Glenburn woman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland to embezzling from an organization receiving federal funds and conspiring to alter money orders.According to court records, Kelly Ballinger, 57, was a former property manager for a Portland apartment complex with residences funded by the Department of Housing and Urban…
Press release
May 01, 2024
Maine Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing Public Funds
BOSTON – A Maine woman pleaded guilty yesterday to stealing federal housing benefits from at least December 2004 through February 2020.
Rebecca Amelia Cranford, 63, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government funds. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Aug. 17, 2023. Cranford was arrested and charged in September 2021.
In the early 2000s, Cranford was engaged by the owners of a…
Press release
May 25, 2023
Berwick Woman Ordered to Pay $59,140 in Restitution to SSA, HUD Following Decade-Long Fraud
PORTLAND, Maine: A Berwick woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for Social Security fraud and theft of public money.
Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Andreanna Politano, 60, to three years of probation. She was also ordered to pay $49,976.38 in restitution to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and $9,164.00 in restitution to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).…
Press release
March 16, 2023
Berwick Woman Pleads Guilty to Decade-Long Social Security Fraud and Housing Voucher Subsidy Fraud
PORTLAND, Maine: A Berwick woman pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to Social Security fraud and theft of public money, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, from about March 2009 to February 2020, Andreanna Politano, 59, concealed the presence of her husband in her household to maintain her eligibility to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. SSI benefits are paid…
Press release
September 12, 2022