We audited the Elkton Housing Authority (Authority) because it received Public Housing Capital Fund Recovery Act grant (grant) funding as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). Our objective was to determine whether the Authority obligated and disbursed capital funds received under the Recovery Act according to the requirements of the act and applicable U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)…

We audited Residential Home Funding Corporation, a nonsupervised lender approved to originate Federal Housing Administration (FHA) single-family mortgage loans. Residential Home Funding Corporation has one office located in Gaithersburg, Maryland. We selected Residential Home Funding Corporation because its default rate was significantly higher than the average default rate for the State of Maryland. Our objective was to determine whether…

In accordance with our goal to review and ensure the proper administration of Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) funds provided under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA) and/or the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), we conducted a capacity review of the operations of the State of Maine’s (State) Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of Community Development (Department). The…

We audited the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis' (Authority) management of lead-based paint in its public housing units in response to a citizen complaint. The audit objective was to determine whether the Authority complied with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and State of Maryland (State) requirements for inspecting and abating lead-based paint hazards in its public housing units. The Authority did not…

We performed an audit of the Orchard Court project, a Section 236 multifamily property, located in Bath, Maine. As part of our audit, we reviewed subsidy payments made to Orchard Court from Bath and Brunswick, Maine, Housing Authorities (Authorities). Our objective was to determine whether Section 8 voucher program subsidies paid to Orchard Court from the Authorities were for basic rent, rather than market rent. Basic rent is the minimum rent a…

We audited the Orchard Court project, located in Bath, Maine, in response to a referral received by the Office of Inspector General's (OIG) Office of Investigation (Region 1). The referral indicated a potential inappropriate use of project funds by the Orchard Court Housing Corporation (project owner) and/or the management agent. Our overall objective was to determine whether the project owner and/or management agents operated the project…

We audited the Housing Authority of Baltimore City's (Authority) administration of its leased housing under its Moving to Work Demonstration (Moving to Work) program based on our analysis of various risk factors relating to the housing authorities under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Baltimore field office. This is the second audit report issued on the Authority's program. The…

We audited the State of Maryland's (State) HOME Investment Partnerships program (HOME) as part of our annual audit plan. We chose to audit the State's HOME-assisted single-family owner-occupied rehabilitation program based on deficiencies identified in a sample of work-write ups reviewed during a previous review of the State's HOME program. This audit is the second phase of our review of the State's HOME program. Our overall…

We audited the HOME Investment Partnerships program (HOME) administered by the Maine State Housing Authority, Augusta, Maine (Authority), as part of our annual audit plan. The Authority received more than $21 million in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding for its federal HOME program from 2005 to 2007. Our audit objective was to determine whether the Authority administered its HOME program in compliance with HUD…

We audited the Housing Authority of Baltimore City's (Authority) administration of its leased housing under its Moving to Work Demonstration (Moving to Work) program. We conducted the audit based on our analysis of various risk factors relating to the housing authorities under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Baltimore field office. This is the first of two audit reports to be issued on…

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Laurel, Maryland, has been sentenced in federal court to three years of probation and restitution of more than $50,000 following her conviction for theft of government funds from two federal agencies, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.Senior United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti imposed the sentence on Briayell Moore, 43.In connection with Moore’s guilty plea, the Court was advised…

Kelly Ballinger wrote her name on rent payments, altered renters’ incomes to steal fundsPORTLAND, Maine: A Glenburn woman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland to embezzling from an organization receiving federal funds and conspiring to alter money orders.According to court records, Kelly Ballinger, 57, was a former property manager for a Portland apartment complex with residences funded by the Department of Housing and Urban…

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…

BOSTON – A Maine woman pleaded guilty yesterday to stealing federal housing benefits from at least December 2004 through February 2020.  Rebecca Amelia Cranford, 63, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government funds. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Aug. 17, 2023. Cranford was arrested and charged in September 2021.   In the early 2000s, Cranford was engaged by the owners of a…

PORTLAND, Maine: A Berwick woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for Social Security fraud and theft of public money. Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Andreanna Politano, 60, to three years of probation. She was also ordered to pay $49,976.38 in restitution to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and $9,164.00 in restitution to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).…

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…

PORTLAND, Maine: A Berwick woman pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to Social Security fraud and theft of public money, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced. According to court records, from about March 2009 to February 2020, Andreanna Politano, 59, concealed the presence of her husband in her household to maintain her eligibility to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. SSI benefits are paid…

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…