In response to requests from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Senator James Inhofe, we audited the property owner's application and the loan processing and underwriting of the HUD-insured mortgage loan to Greystone Apartments, Inc., for Cypress Ridge Apartments. Harry Mortgage Company, the lender, processed and recommended loan approval under the multifamily accelerated processing (MAP) program. The audit…

Due to a citizen's complaint, we audited the State of Louisiana's (State) Road Home homeowner assistance program managed by the State's contractor, ICF Emergency Management Services, LLC. The complaint raised a potential issue with Road Home employees improperly obtaining grants. During our audit on employee eligibility for additional compensation grants, we identified possible program eligibility issues through a review of the…

Due to a citizen's complaint, we audited the State of Louisiana's (State) Road Home homeowner assistance program managed by the State's contractor, ICF Emergency Management Services, LLC. The complaint raised a potential issue with Road Home employees improperly obtaining grants. During our audit on employee eligibility for additional compensation grants, we identified possible program eligibility issues through a review of the…

At the request of two United States senators, we initiated an audit of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) administration of the Housing Authority of New Orleans (Authority) to determine the effect of HUD's receivership on the Authority's performance. Specifically, we wanted to determine whether HUD had taken action to improve the Authority's post-Hurricane Katrina performance while under HUD…

At the request of two United States senators, we initiated an audit of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) administration of the Housing Authority of New Orleans (Authority) to determine the effect of HUD's receivership on the Authority's performance in its contracting activities and financial functions. Specifically, we wanted to determine whether HUD's receivership ensured that the Authority…

We completed an inspection of HUD funds drawn from the Line of Credit Control System (LOCCS) to pay for construction at Savoy Place, the last phase of the Desire Development at The Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO).  The Desire Development is a three-phase HOPE VI development, comprising of Abundance, Treasure, and Savoy Place.   We compared progress payments HANO made to the developer, Michaels Development Company, with…

We audited the State of Louisiana's (State) additional compensation grant (grant) component of the Road Home homeowner assistance program, managed by the State's contractor, ICF Emergency Management Services, LLC (ICF), in conjunction with the Office of Inspector General (OIG) Gulf Coast Region's audit plan and examination of relief efforts provided by the federal government in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Our…

We audited the City of Tulsa's (City) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program due to a departmental request. Our initial objective was to determine whether the City expended CDBG funds in accordance with U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rules and regulations. Based upon the initial results, we modified the objective to determine whether the City ensured that its largest subrecipient, the Tulsa Development…

As part of the Office of Inspector General's strategic plan, we audited the Shreveport Housing Authority's (Authority) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program (Section 8 program). Our objective was to determine whether the Authority ensured that it made housing assistance payments in accordance with the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Section 8 program requirements. The Authority's contracted…

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Katrina Disaster Housing Assistance Program (KDHAP) and Disaster Voucher Program (DVP) administered by various public housing agencies. Our audit objective was to determine whether HUD established controls to ensure that the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) pre-Hurricane Katrina Housing Choice Voucher program participants did not receive duplicate assistance…

We audited the State of Louisiana's (State) additional compensation grant (grant) component of the Road Home homeowner assistance program, managed by the State's contractor, ICF Emergency Management Services, LLC (ICF). We initiated the audit in conjunction with the Office of Inspector General (OIG) Gulf Coast Region's audit plan and examination of relief efforts provided by the federal government in the aftermath of Hurricanes…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General audited the State of Louisiana's (State) Road Home program (Road Home) housing manager's performance under a contract worth more than $750 million. The State is a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) disaster recovery grantee under the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2006. We initiated the audit in conjunction with the Office of…

We audited the Shreveport Housing Authority's (Authority) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program as part of our strategic plan. Our objective was to determine whether the Authority's Section 8 units met housing quality standards and if not, determine the extent, cause, and impact of its noncompliance on its Section 8 program. The Authority did not have adequate management controls to ensure that it complied with U. S.…

At the request of HUD, we audited Green River Management, Inc., (Green River) which managed the Housing Authorities of the City of Konawa, City of Langston, City of Pauls Valley, City of Wynnewood, Town of Cheyenne, and Caddo Electric Cooperative. Our objective was to determine whether the housing authorities appropriately procured Green River as their management agent, maintained properties, and carried out their financial responsibilities in…

Bob Dean Jr. and several companies that he owned and operated have agreed to an $8.2 million consent judgment to resolve allegations that they violated the National Housing Act of 1934 (NHA), by misappropriating and misusing the assets and income of four nursing homes in Louisiana before and after Hurricane Ida’s landfall in August 2021. The four nursing homes, all of which were owned and operated by Dean and his companies, and had loans insured…

NEW ORLEANS - United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that LEESSA AUGUSTINE (“AUGUSTINE”), age 46, was indicted on September 20, 2024 for her involvement in multiple fraud schemes while employed as a Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans (“S&WB”) Senior Special Agent, a position tasked with investigating the alleged misconduct of other Sewerage & Water Board employees.In one alleged scheme, AUGUSTINE, who…

WASHINGTON DC— Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued an audit report examining the City of New Orleans’ (the City) use of HUD’s National Disaster Resilience grant funding.  HUD’s program is designed to help state and local communities recover from past disasters, while also improving their infrastructure to withstand future extreme events through strategic community…

OKLAHOMA CITY – Earlier this week, a criminal indictment was unsealed charging six Oklahoma residents with fraudulently obtaining nearly $1 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On August 16, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a sealed, 28-count indictment against MARQUITA DESHAWN SHAW, 39, and AMIE STREET, 39, both of Lawton, Oklahoma, and COREY DONTA SHAW, 40, ERIC…