LAFAYETTE — A former employee of the Opelousas Housing Authority was sentenced to two years of probation Friday in a federal investigation of bid-rigging that also snagged the former director and a local contractor. Garnette L. Thomas, 76, the Housing Authority’s former grant and capital funds coordinator, pleaded guilty last year to fraud charges. Thomas faced 10 to 16 months in prison under federal sentencing guidelines, but U.S. District…

The White Mountain Apache Housing Authority misspent millions of federal dollars on entertainment, gift certificates and other improper items, and is so badly managed it should be considered for receivership, according to a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development audit released this week. A HUD Office of Inspector General report issued Tuesday also says the agency's Southwest Office of Native American Programs should order the tribal…

U.S. Attorney’s Office District of New Mexico Press Release ALBUQUERQUE—Two men from Gallup, N.M., pleaded guilty today to federal charges arising out of a scheme to defraud the United States and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) of more than $100,000. The guilty pleas were announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, Phyllis Robinson, Special Agent in Charge of Region 6, HUD Office of Inspector General, and Carol K.O…

  Testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations Topic: “Evaluating Public Housing in the U.S.: Reigning in Waste, Fraud, Abuse and Mismanagement at Public Housing Authorities."  

This is a USAO District of Maryland Press Release Greenbelt, Maryland – Mokorya Cosmas Wambura, age 45, of Takoma Park, Maryland pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft arising from two separate residential mortgage fraud schemes. The plea agreement was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Cary A. Rubenstein of the Housing and…

USAO Southern District of Ohio Press Release COLUMBUS – Wendy Harper, 44, Columbus, Ohio pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to embezzling HUD program funds from her employer, Harvest Management Group, Inc, which manages more than 900 units for elderly and disabled people who qualify for HUD assistance. She also pleaded guilty to filing a false income tax return. Carter M. Stewart, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Barry…

COLUMBUS, Ohio - A Columbus woman pleaded guilty to embezzling HUD program funds, and filing a false income tax return Thursday. Wendy Harper, 44, Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to embezzling HUD program funds from her employer, Harvest Management Group, Inc, which manages more than 900 units for elderly and disabled people who qualify for HUD assistance. She also pleaded guilty to filing a false income tax return. According to…

USAO, Southern District of New York Press Release In Settlement, Bank Admits and Accepts Responsibility for Improperly Approving Thousands of Mortgage Loans for Government Insurance, and Agrees to Implement Enhanced Quality Control Program to Protect Against Future Violations Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Associate Attorney General Tony West, Stuart F. Delery, the Assistant Attorney General for…

United States Attorney District of Connecticut Press Release Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GARI-MARK THOMAS, 38, of Michigan, formerly of Norwalk, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas P. Smith in Hartford to one count of conspiracy to defraud the Federal Housing Authority through a mortgage fraud scheme. According to court…

NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) – JPMorgan Chase Bank has agreed to pay $614 million to settle a False Claims Act lawsuit, but it is unclear how much of that will be paid to a whistleblower who brought suit against the company. On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the settlement, which resolves allegations that JPMorgan Chase improperly approved thousands of residential home mortgage loans for government insurance and refinancing. The…

USAO District of Connecticut Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 28, 2014 Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARC JEAN, 44, a citizen of Haiti residing in Norwich, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in an extensive mortgage fraud scheme. According to court…

This Press Release Courtesy of United States Attorney Daniel G. Bogden - Department of Justice - District of Nevada LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A woman who pleaded guilty to stealing over $400,000 from the unemployment system, public housing authority, and Social Security Administration, was sentenced today to 57 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $477,466 in restitution, announced Daniel G. Bogden, United States…

USAO District of Connecticut Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  January 28, 2014 United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that WINSTON SHILLINGFORD, 56, and his wife, MARLEEN SHILLINGFORD, 47, of Nesconset, N.Y., were sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to prison terms of 48 months and 36 months, respectively, for operating a multimillion-dollar mortgage fraud scheme that involved…

(LAS VEGAS, KXNT)–A Las Vegas woman who ripped off the unemployment system, public housing authority and Social Security of over $400,000 has been given a nearly 5 year prison term. Teresa Towns , 50, who pleaded guilty last Fall to various charges involving the theft of government money, has been ordered to pay $477,000 restitution. Over an eight year period until her arrest last year, prosecutors say Towns used various aliases to establish…

Former Lafayette and Opelousas Housing Authority Executive Director Walter Guillory has been indicted on federal bribery and wire fraud charges. The U.S. Attorney’s Office on Thursday filed charges against Guillory, who was forced to resign as LHA director Oct. 25, 2010, following an audit that revealed problems at the LHA. Guillory served as executive director of the Opelousas Housing Authority from 2005 until 2009 while he was also executive…

An Oakland County woman who admits stealing $380,000 from a program for the homeless is facing two years or more in prison. Linda Linseman is a former state employee. She's returning to Detroit federal court Tuesday, four months after pleading guilty to theft of government property. The plea deal signed by the 55-year-old Waterford woman says she spent the money for herself or allowed others to enjoy it. The scheme lasted four years until…

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz - District of Massachusetts DEVELOPER SENTENCED TO 12.5 YEARS IN PRISON FOR ORCHESTRATING MASSIVE MORTGAGE FRAUD INVOLVING OVER $7 MILLION IN LOSS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: CHRISTINA DiIORIO-STERLING PHONE:  (617)748-3356 E-MAIL:  [email protected] WWW.JUSTICE.GOV/USAO/MA/NEWS BOSTON –  A Boston man was sentenced late yesterday on charges relating to a massive mortgage…

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE GUZMAN, 53, of Waterford, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Alfred V. Covello in Hartford to 51 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for operating an extensive mortgage fraud scheme in eastern Connecticut. According to court documents and statements made in court, GUZMAN operated a fraudulent mortgage…

LA JOYA - The director of the La Joya Housing Authority says a federal investigation into his businesses may have been politically motivated. "It gets pretty dirty, they'll use whatever they want to distract the voters and trying to change, outcome (sic)," Juan Jose Garza said. Federal agents raided Garza's home and office on Wednesday. Garza said he is baffled by the investigation. Garza also serves as a La Joya ISD board member. Garza said he…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 18, 2013 Linda Linseman, 56, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced yesterday to 32 months imprisonment by Judge Robert H. Cleland for her theft of more than $385,000 in Federal and State grant funds designated to Lighthouse of Oakland, a non-profit organization in Pontiac, Michigan, dedicated to helping the homeless, announced United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade. McQuade was joined in the announcement by…