PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Two residents of Brentwood, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty and were sentenced in federal court on January 15, 2025, on charges of making false statements on a loan application, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.Husband and wife Brennan and Angela McNally each pleaded guilty before Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer to one count of making a false statement on a loan application. In separate…

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…

PHILADELPHIA – Landlord Allan R. Posner and his property management company ILJOR Properties, LLC, have agreed to pay $570,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act during their participation in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP), commonly known as “Section 8.”The HCVP is the federal government’s primary program for helping low-income families, the elderly, and…

SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Paul Helring, age 48, a former Scranton police officer and the former elected police union president, was sentenced on June 4, 2024, by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani to 6 months’ imprisonment and a 2-year term of supervised release for the offense of Theft Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds.According to the…

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Norman D. Wise, 58, of Mullica Hill, NJ, Douglas E. Daniel, 65, of Philadelphia, PA, and Leonard F. Coleman, 54, of Paulsboro, NJ, were sentenced this week by United States District Court Judge Wendy Beetlestone on bribery and fraud charges related to two schemes: (1) a bribery scheme in which Coleman paid off Wise and Daniel in exchange for contracting work awarded to…

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Norman D. Wise, 58, of Mullica Hill, NJ, Douglas E. Daniel, 65, of Philadelphia, PA, and Leonard F. Coleman, 54, of Paulsboro, NJ, were sentenced this week by United States District Court Judge Wendy Beetlestone on bribery and fraud charges related to two schemes: (1) a bribery scheme in which Coleman paid off Wise and Daniel in exchange for contracting work awarded to…

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…

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced today that a local property owner will pay $90,458 to settle allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by charging a low-income tenant more than the amount permitted under the property owner’s agreement with the government under the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8). The government alleges that under the Housing Choice Voucher Program, David Krmpotich of…

The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against Timothy Britton, the owner and operator of rental properties in the Falls Creek, Pennsylvania, area and Britton Enterprises LLC, doing business as “Tim’s Apartments,” which operates the rental properties, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of the Fair Housing Act. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania…

PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of bank fraud and conspiracy, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Lee Ann Benninghoff, age 44, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan. In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Benninghoff owned and operated Complete Escrow and Bella Casa Realty. From February…

ALEXANDRIA, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Lisa G. Cooper, 55, of Cottonport, Louisiana, has pleaded guilty to federal program theft. The hearing was held today before United States District Judge Dee D. Drell. According to evidence presented to the court, Cooper was employed by, and an agent of, the Cottonport Housing Authority (“CHA”), which is a local government agency that provides…

ALEXANDRIA, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Lisa G. Cooper, 55, of Cottonport, Louisiana, has pleaded guilty to federal program theft. The hearing was held today before United States District Judge Dee D. Drell. According to evidence presented to the court, Cooper was employed by, and an agent of, the Cottonport Housing Authority (“CHA”), which is a local government agency that provides…

New Orleans, LA – The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced today that Kevin Richardson, 59, of New Orleans, was sentenced on January 13, 2022 by United States District Judge Susie Morgan to thirty (30) months in the Bureau of Prisons for violating Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1952(a)(3) and 2, use of an interstate facility with intent to carry on unlawful activity. According to the court documents, Richardson was employed…

PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that  Mikhail Geneles (“Geneles”), will pay $90,000 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that he illegally claimed subsidies from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) while renting an apartment to his father-in-law in violation of the department’s requirements.    The settlement resolves allegations that, between May 2010…

PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that  Dmitry Royzman, will pay $128,000 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that he illegally claimed subsidies from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) while renting an apartment to his mother-in-law in violation of the program’s requirements.    The settlement resolves allegations that, between December 2008 and…