Maryland U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron and HUD Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis host Safe Housing Summit
Program Focused on Eliminating Environmental Hazards and Combatting Sexual Misconduct in HUD-Assisted Housing.Baltimore, Maryland – United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis hosted a seminar today focused on promoting the health and safety of tenants living in HUD-assisted housing by focusing on eliminating environmental hazards…
Press release
April 30, 2024
South Hempstead Woman Charged with Stealing More than $22,000 in Rental Subsidy Benefits
MINEOLA, N.Y. – Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that a South Hempstead woman was arrested and charged yesterday with allegedly falsely applying for and receiving more than $22,000 of rental assistance benefits from the Nassau County Housing Choice Voucher Program to which she was not entitled.Melissa Beltre, 42, was arraigned Thursday before Judge Marie McCormack on charges of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree (a D…
Press release
March 15, 2024
DiNapoli: Former West Carthage Housing Authority Executive Director and Mother Arrested
Executive Director Used Housing Authority Funds for Personal Expenses Throughout Entire Tenure.New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Jefferson County District Attorney Kristyna S. Mills, the U.S. Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General (HUD OIG), and the New York State Police today announced the arrests of former Executive Director of the West Carthage Housing Authority (WCHA) Jan Hoffman for allegedly stealing…
Press release
March 13, 2024
Former Chairman of the Village of Hempstead Housing Authority Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Fraud and Corruption
Cornell Bozier Steered Over $800,000 in Construction Contracts to Co-Conspirator Controlled Companies in Exchange for Kickback PaymentsEarlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Cornell Bozier, the former Chairman of the Board of Commissioners (Board) at the Village of Hempstead Housing Authority (VHHA) was sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and…
Press release
March 11, 2024
HUD OIG Initiates Audit of the New York City Housing Authority’s Fraud Risk Management Practices
Read Work Start Notification WASHINGTON DC— Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced an audit to assess the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) processes for identifying and preventing fraud. NYCHA provides housing assistance to over 500,000 New York residents and it is the largest public housing authority in the United States. HUD provides NYCHA with…
Press release
February 07, 2024
70 Current And Former NYCHA Employees Charged With Bribery And Extortion Offenses
In the Largest Number of Federal Bribery Charges on a Single Day in DOJ History, 70 Current and Former Employees of the NYCHA Have Been Charged with Allegedly Accepting Cash Payments from Contractors in Exchange for Awarding NYCHA ContractsDamian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Jocelyn E. Strauber, the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”); Ivan J. Arvelo, the Special…
Press release
February 06, 2024
Property owner sentenced for lying about lead hazards
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Angel Elliot Dalfin, 58, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of making a false document, was sentenced to serve five years’ probation, to include eight months of home confinement with electronic monitoring, by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. Dalfin was also ordered to perform 600 hours of community service at Habitat for Humanity within the first three years of probation.…
Press release
November 13, 2023
Movement Mortgage to Pay $23.7 Million to Resolve Allegations it Caused the Submission of False Claims to Government Mortgage Programs
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Movement Mortgage, LLC, has agreed to pay the United States $23.75 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by failing to comply with material program requirements when it originated and underwrote mortgages insured by the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Federal Housing Administration (FHA) or guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), United States Attorney…
Press release
June 29, 2023
NYCHA Superintendents Sentenced To Prison For Accepting Bribes
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that LEROY GIBBS was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon to 33 months in prison, and JULIO FIGUEROA was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote to 15 months in prison, for accepting bribes in exchange for awarding no-bid contracts at the New York City Housing Authority (“NYCHA”) facilities where they worked. …
Press release
February 09, 2023
Former Prattsville Town Supervisor Sentenced for Grant Fraud
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kory O’Hara, age 45, the former Town Supervisor of Prattsville, New York, was sentenced today to 1 year of probation, and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and $24,915 in restitution to the State of New York, for committing wire fraud in connection with a grant extended to Prattsville in the wake of Hurricane Irene.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; New York State Comptroller Thomas P.…
Press release
December 08, 2022
Former Rochester Housing Authority Chair Going To Prison For Fraud, Money Laundering And Lying To The FBI
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that George H. Moses, 53, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted by a federal jury for his role in defrauding three nonprofit organizations; Rochester Housing Charities (RHC), which provides housing to the elderly and disabled; the North East Area Development (NEAD), which assists low-income residents in the northeast quadrant of Rochester; and Quad A for Kids, which provided after-school…
Press release
November 29, 2022
NYCHA Superintendents Plead Guilty To Accepting Bribes
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that LEROY GIBBS and JULIO FIGUEROA each pled guilty to accepting bribes for awarding no-bid contracts at the New York City Housing Authority (“NYCHA”) facilities at which they served as superintendents. GIBBS pled guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein on October 7, 2022, and will be sentenced by United States District…
Press release
November 03, 2022
Baltimore Business Owner Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining Federally Insured Loans to Sell Two Baltimore Properties He Owned
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Philip Abramowitz, age 50, of Pikesville, Maryland, Maryland to one year in federal prison and one year of home detention, followed by three years of supervised release, for a wire fraud conspiracy for fraudulently obtaining federally insured home loans. Judge Bennett also ordered Abramowitz to pay $373,684 in restitution and forfeit $493,037.
The sentence was…
Press release
September 15, 2022
Former Prattsville Town Supervisor Pleads Guilty to Fraud
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kory O’Hara, age 45, formerly the Town Supervisor of Prattsville, pled guilty today to wire fraud in connection with a grant extended to Prattsville in the wake of Hurricane Irene.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli; Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); John…
Press release
July 18, 2022
Baltimore Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud in Relation to the Sale of Two Baltimore Properties
Baltimore, Maryland – Philip Abramowitz, age 50, of Pikesville, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. As part of his guilty plea, Abramowitz will be ordered to pay $373,684 in restitution.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Shawn A. Rice of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector…
Press release
May 20, 2022
Brothers Facing Federal Charges for Alleged Bank Fraud in the Purchase and Sale of Two Baltimore Properties
Defendants Allegedly Falsified Bank Statements, Misrepresented Ownership Intentions, and Allegedly Made False Statements on a Loan Application
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Philip Abramowitz, age 50, of Pikesville, Maryland, with bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud and Calvin Abramowitz, age 48, of Lakewood, New Jersey, with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and for making…
Press release
March 23, 2022
Property Manager Pleads Guilty For His Role In The Failure To Properly Notify Tenants About Lead Hazards
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Paul Richard Heil, 52, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of aiding and abetting the failure to provide lead paint hazard warning notice before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy. The charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that Heil was a…
Press release
March 09, 2022
Property Manager Pleads Guilty For His Role In The Failure To Properly Notify Tenants About Lead Hazards
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Paul Richard Heil, 52, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of aiding and abetting the failure to provide lead paint hazard warning notice before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy. The charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that Heil was a…
Press release
March 09, 2022
Former City Councilman Adam McFadden Going To Prison For Wire Fraud Conviction And Filing A False Tax Return
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Adam C. McFadden, 50, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of wire fraud and filing a false tax return, was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. McFadden was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $265,528.00 to Quad A For Kids, the Internal Revenue Service and Rochester Housing Charities.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Resnick…
Press release
February 11, 2022
Former City Councilman Adam McFadden Going To Prison For Wire Fraud Conviction And Filing A False Tax Return
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Adam C. McFadden, 50, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of wire fraud and filing a false tax return, was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. McFadden was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $265,528.00 to Quad A For Kids, the Internal Revenue Service and Rochester Housing Charities.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Resnick…
Press release
February 11, 2022