Utilización del color en gráficos 3-D

Recent studies indicate that an estimated 60 percent of all subsidized housing rents are miscalculated, and approximately $5.2 billion in erroneous and net annual subsidy overpayments are a result of both errors in program administration and tenants underreporting income.

In an effort to combat administrative overpayments and tenant fraud, HUD and HUD OIG commenced "Operation FedRent," a joint effort to address rental assistance fraud involving Federal employees. Operation FedRent compares HUD tenant data to current and retired Federal employee information maintained by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. After the data comparison, an income eligibility determination is made, and the Social Security numbers for family members six years of age and older are verified. If a discrepancy exists, an investigation is opened and appropriate administrative or legal actions are initiated to collect any overpaid housing assistance. Results of Operation FedRent during this semiannual reporting period are described below.

Ten Chicago Housing Authority, Cook County Housing Authority, or Aurora Housing Authority public housing or Section 8 tenants and current or former U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employees were each charged in U.S. District Court, Chicago, IL, for making false statements and committing theft of government funds or mail fraud. The above defendants allegedly failed to report income on housing certifications and collectively obtained $247,000 in housing assistance they were not entitled to receive.

Lauton Joshua, a former San Francisco Housing Authority (San Francisco) Section 8 tenant and U.S. Army employee, and her grandmother, Helen Lowe, a former San Francisco Section 8 landlord, were collectively sentenced in U.S. District, San Francisco, CA, to 15 months incarceration and 6 years probation, fined $30,000, and ordered to jointly pay HUD $126,934 in restitution for their earlier guilty pleas to making false statements. In addition, Lowe was suspended from procurement and nonprocurement transactions as a participant or principal with HUD and throughout the Executive Branch of the Federal Government pending the outcome of any related debarment actions. From August 1998 to December 2006, Joshua and Lowe failed to report income, assets, or their familial relationship on housing certifications and together obtained $126,934 in housing assistance they were not entitled to receive.

Latoya Mason, a former District of Columbia Housing Authority (DC Housing Authority) Section 8 tenant and former U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employee, pled guilty in U.S. District Court,

Washington, DC, to making false claims and fraudulently obtaining public assistance. In addition, Barbara

Johnson and Gerry Coffee, former DC Housing Authority housing recipients and current VA or IRS employees, were collectively sentenced to 5 years probation and ordered to perform 250 hours of community service and pay DC Housing Authority $59,344 in restitution for their earlier guilty pleas to committing fraud in obtaining public assistance. From 1999 through 2006, Mason, Johnson, and Coffee failed to report income or unauthorized residents and their criminal histories on housing certifications and together obtained $110,233 in housing assistance they were not entitled to receive.

Sonya Reshard, a former Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles (Los Angeles County) Housing Choice Voucher program participant and USPS employee, was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Los Angeles,

CA, to 6 months incarceration and 2 years probation and ordered to pay Los Angeles County $71,267 in

restitution for her earlier guilty plea to making false statements and willfully causing an offense against the government. Reshard failed to report income on housing certifications and obtained $71,267 in housing assistance she was not entitled to receive.

Antoinette Love, a former Compton Housing Authority (Compton) Section 8 tenant and current USPS employee, was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Los Angeles, CA, to 5 years probation and 4 months home detention with electronic monitoring and ordered to pay Compton $58,000 in restitution for her earlier guilty plea to making false statements. From 1999 to 2007, Love failed to report income on housing certifications and obtained more than $51,000 in housing assistance she was not entitled to receive.

Dinorah Cancel, a former Tampa Housing Authority (Tampa) Section 8 tenant and current USPS employee, pled guilty in U.S. District Court, Tampa, FL, to committing theft of government funds. In addition, former Tampa Section 8 tenants and USPS employees Luz Correa and Bienvenido Rosa Santos were collectively sentenced to 90 days incarceration, 90 days home detention, 90 days in a residential reentry program, and 7 years of supervised release and ordered to pay HUD $47,046 in restitution for their earlier guilty pleas to committing theft of government funds. From February 2002 to August 2007, the above defendants failed to report income on housing certifications and collectively obtained $47,046 in housing assistance they were not entitled to receive.

Kim Carson, a former Santa Monica Housing Authority housing recipient and U.S. Department of Defense auditor who previously pled guilty to committing theft of public monies, entered into a Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act settlement filed in U.S. District Court, Santa Monica, CA, and agreed to pay HUD $4,000. Carson submitted altered employment documents, failed to report income, and obtained $44,843 in housing and FSS program assistance she was not entitled to receive.

Daniel Engle, a Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (Cuyahoga Metropolitan) Section 8 landlord, and Cindy Valentine, also known as Cindy Engle, a Cuyahoga Metropolitan Section 8 tenant and IRS employee, were each charged in U.S. District Court, Cleveland, OH, with making false statements and committing theft of government funds. In addition, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Section 8 tenant and IRS employee Kenyada Spates was indicted in Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas for committing grand theft and tampering with records. Engle, Valentine, and Spates allegedly failed to report income, assets, or their accurate marital status and household compositions on housing certifications and collectively obtained $35,928 in housing assistance they were not entitled to receive.

Temeria Alexander, a former Charlotte Housing Authority Section 8 tenant and USPS employee, was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Charlotte, NC, to 6 months incarceration and ordered to pay HUD $29,669 in restitution for her earlier guilty plea to making false statements and embezzlement of government funds. Alexander failed to report income on housing certifications and obtained $29,669 in housing assistance she was not entitled to receive.

Elizabeth Rosa, a former Orange County Housing Agency (Orange County) Section 8 tenant and current USPS employee, pled guilty in U.S. District Court, Tampa, FL, to making false statements and theft of government funds. From June 2001 to July 2006, Rosa failed to report income on housing certifications and obtained $28,931 in housing assistance she was not entitled to receive.

Natasha Acoff, a Cook County Housing Authority Section 8 tenant and current U.S. Department of Homeland Security employee, was charged in U.S. District Court, Chicago, IL, with making false statements. Acoff allegedly failed to report income on housing certifications and obtained $27,200 in housing assistance she was not entitled to receive.

Brenda Houston, a former Housing Authority of Kansas City (Kansas City) Section 8 tenant and IRS employee, was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Kansas City, MO, to 4 months incarceration and 3 years supervised probation and ordered to pay Kansas City $25,812 in restitution for her earlier guilty plea to committing theft of government funds. From December 2001 through February 2005, Houston failed to report income on housing certifications and obtained $25,812 in housing assistance she was not entitled to receive.

Debra Freeman, a former East Chicago Housing Authority public housing tenant and USPS employee, was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Hammond, IN, to 3 years probation and ordered to pay HUD $20,675 in restitution for her earlier guilty plea to committing theft of government funds. Freeman failed to report income on housing certifications and obtained $20,675 in housing assistance she was not entitled to receive.

Lakeesha Jefferson, a San Francisco Housing Authority Section 8 tenant and current Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employee, was indicted in U.S. District Court, San Francisco, CA, for committing theft of government funds and making fraudulent claims. From October 2004 through October 2006, Jefferson allegedly failed to report income on housing certifications, submitted fraudulent FEMA travel vouchers, and obtained $14,511 in housing assistance and $16,252 in travel reimbursements she was not entitled to receive.

Peter Ruach, a former Portland Housing Authority public housing tenant and USPS employee, was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Portland, ME, to 36 months probation and ordered to pay HUD, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture $7,596 in restitution for his earlier guilty plea to making false statements and committing theft of government property. From November 2004 through September 2005, Ruach failed to report income on housing and other certifications and obtained $4,686 in housing assistance and $2,900 in welfare and other benefits he was not entitled to receive.