We completed an audit of the Housing Authority of the City of Asbury Park, Asbury Park, New Jersey. The objectives of the audit were to determine whether (1) capital funds were properly expended and obligated in accordance with HUD requirements, (2) salaries and related benefits allocated to different programs were reasonable and supported, and (3) controls over maintenance and repairs were adequate. The Authority did not adequately administer…

HUD-OIG reviewed the Cheyenne Housing Authority's (Authority) administration and management contract with Housing Operations and Management, Incorporated (contractor), to determine whether the Authority awarded the contract in accordance with federal procurement requirements. The Authority did not follow federal procurement requirements and its own procurement policy when it awarded its administration and management contract to the contractor.…

NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark business owner today admitted bribing a former city official in exchange for that official’s assistance in acquiring and redeveloping Newark-owned properties, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.Irwin Sablosky, 64, of Springfield, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to two counts of an indictment charging him with honest services fraud and bribery.“As he…

TRENTON, N.J. – A Burlington County, New Jersey, man and a Mercer County, New Jersey, man made their initial court appearances today on charges of participating in a conspiracy to obtain overtime payments from the city of Trenton for work they did not perform, by fraudulently inflating the overtime hours they claimed to have worked conducting residential lead inspections and meal deliveries to needy Trenton residents, U.S. Attorney Philip R.…

Program Focused on Combatting Sexual Harassment in Housing and Eliminating Environmental Hazards in HUD-Assisted HousingNEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis hosted a summit today focused on promoting the health, safety, and civil rights of tenants living in HUD-assisted housing. The program focused on combatting…

NEWARK, N.J. – A former city of Newark official who served as deputy mayor and director of the Newark Department Economic and Housing Development (DEHD) and served as executive vice president and chief real estate officer of the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation (NCEDC) today admitted conspiring with two Newark business owners to obtain corrupt payments intended to influence and reward him for assisting the business owners with…

NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man was sentenced today to time already served – 20 months – for conspiring to commit mortgage fraud, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Cabral Simpson, 47, of Orange, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to Count One of an indictment charging him with conspiring to commit wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Julien X. Neals imposed the sentence today in Newark…

CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic City woman today admitted engaging in a fraudulent scheme through which she defrauded elderly victims of over $100,000, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.Victoria Crosby, 46, of Atlantic City, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on Nov. 16, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler in Camden federal court to an information charging her with wire fraud.According to documents filed in the case and…

NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man today admitted that he conspired with others to commit mortgage fraud, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.  Cabral Simpson, 46, of Orange, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to Count One of an indictment charging him with conspiring to commit wire fraud. According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court: Simpson, a real estate investor,…

NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey, woman pleaded guilty today to stealing over $1.5 million from over 100 victims made up mainly of non-profits, private schools, and religious institutions throughout New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Yezenia Castillo, 46, of Hoboken, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S District Judge Susan D. Wigenton, to an information charging her with one count each of wire fraud and tax…

NEWARK, N.J. – Newark Housing Authority (NHA)’s former director of information technology was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for using his position to embezzle NHA funds to purchase cellular telephones and other electronic devices, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Venancio Diaz, 57, of Jersey City, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian Martinotti in Newark federal court to an information…

NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man today admitted committing wire fraud and making false reports and statements to and for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Shenandoah Adams Sr., aka “Shane Adams Sr.,” 56, of New Providence, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas to one count of an indictment charging him with wire fraud and an…

NEWARK, N.J. – A member of the Newark Municipal Council and Board of Directors of the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation (NCEDC) today admitted scheming to obtain bribes and kickbacks and subscribing to a false personal tax return for 2018, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Joseph A. McCallum Jr., 66, of Newark, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini to an information charging him with one count…

NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 108 months in prison for conspiring to obtain mortgage loans to finance the sale of properties to unqualified buyers, securities fraud by inducing a victim into investing over $1.2 million into real estate companies under false pretenses, and violation of supervised release, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced. Maurice Bethea, 54, of Newark, previously…

NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 108 months in prison for conspiring to obtain mortgage loans to finance the sale of properties to unqualified buyers, securities fraud by inducing a victim into investing over $1.2 million into real estate companies under false pretenses, and violation of supervised release, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced. Maurice Bethea, 54, of Newark, previously…

The Justice Department announced today that Joseph Centanni, a landlord who has owned hundreds of rental units in and around Elizabeth, New Jersey, has agreed to pay $4.5 million in monetary damages and a civil penalty to resolve a Fair Housing Act (FHA) lawsuit concerning his sexual harassment of tenants and housing applicants for more than 15 years. This settlement, which still must be approved by the U.S. District Court for the District of…

NEWARK, N.J. – A former Newark city official and officer of the Newark Community Economic Development Corp. (NCEDC), along with two Newark business owners, were indicted today by a federal grand jury in connection with a conspiracy for the official to obtain corrupt payments intended to influence and reward him for assisting the business owners with the acquisition and redevelopment of various Newark-owned properties, Acting U.S. Attorney…

NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man was arrested today on charges of engaging in mortgage fraud, fraudulently obtaining an SBA loan, and stealing another person’s identity information, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced. Nathanael Zimmerman, 40, of Wyckoff, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count each of wire fraud, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to appear by videoconference this…