News release from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
ATLANTA- The U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of the Inspector General, Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) are working together today to arrest approximately 80 individuals who have fraudulently obtained federal funding for affordable housing in Georgia.
These individuals are being arrested on charges of Theft by Taking and/or False Statements for fraudulently obtaining federal funding for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program, which is administered through the Georgia Department of Community Affairs Housing Choice Voucher Program.
"We appreciate the combined efforts of the HUD Office of Inspector General, GBI and DCA to combat housing fraud by arresting those that are violating the law and depriving especially those in need of affordable housing. We have zero tolerance for such fraud and are committed to aggressively working to identify and help prosecute any individuals that would seek to defraud or abuse this essential program," said US HUD Southeast Regional Administrator Edward Jennings, Jr.
The fraud involved in these cases totaled approximately $1.1 million which is money that could be ordered returned to the program during the prosecution of these individuals. This money when returned could then be distributed to people who are truly in need of financial assistance for housing.
"The state and federal governments, as well as the people they serve, have a responsibility to ensure that federal funds for the Section 8 program go to those truly in need. My Office will continue to work with the HUD Office of Inspector General to ensure that those individuals who receive valuable Section 8 subsidies are eligible to participate in the program." said, Mr. Dennis Williams Jr., Assistant Commissioner, Rental Assistance Division, GA Dept. of Community Affairs.
The housing choice voucher program is the federal government's major program for assisting very low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. Since housing assistance is provided on behalf of the family or individual, participants are able to find their own housing, including single-family homes, townhouses and apartments.
- Here is a list of locations and people served with warrants, supplied by the GBI-
|
County
|
Name
|
Address
|
City
|
Arrested
|
|
Bartow
|
Denetria Davis
|
18 Briarwood Lane
|
Cartersville
|
1
|
|
Catoosa
|
Leslie Hinton
|
1202 Oglethorpe Ridge Lane
|
Ft. Oglethorpe
|
1
|
|
Spalding
|
Zanina Berry
|
504 Crossings Place
|
Griffin
|
1
|
|
Carroll
|
Angela Davis
|
209 E Wilson Street Apt. 88
|
Villa Rica
|
1
|
|
Coweta
|
Rafael Fernandez
|
17 Sunset Ridge Way
|
Newnan
|
1
|
|
Spalding
|
Cheryld D. Johnson
|
1105 Jackson Rd Apt D
|
Griffin
|
1
|
|
Carroll
|
Dafanie Watkins
|
816 N Aycock Street
|
Carrollton
|
1
|
|
Fayette
|
Rachel Fedd
|
151 Wynnmeade Parkway
|
Peachtree City
|
1
|
|
Lee
|
Misty Martin
|
140 Apache Street
|
Leesburg
|
1
|
|
Lee
|
Stephanie Ammons
|
151 Endoline Drive Apt B
|
Leesburg
|
1
|
|
Burke
|
Tashawn Scott
|
409 Leonard Circle
|
Waynesboro
|
1
|
|
Richmond
|
Joyce Baker
|
2408 Sedgefield Dr
|
Augusta
|
1
|
|
Richmond
|
Shanta Gilyard
|
1025 Woodsedge Dr. Apt H
|
Augusta
|
1
|
|
Richmond
|
Artis Overstreet
|
3617 Rolling Meadows Drive
|
Augusta
|
1
|
|
Jefferson
|
Diana Hannah
|
2501 Ga Hwy 17 N
|
Wrens
|
1
|
|
Richmond
|
Katrima Smalley
|
2579 Anthony Dejuan Pkwy
|
Hephzibah
|
1
|
|
Richmond
|
Tilvosiet Ryans
|
3109 Norcom Lane
|
Augusta
|
1
|
|
Richmond
|
Latonya Hunt
|
3639 Elliott Blvd
|
Augusta
|
1
|
|
Thomas
|
Casandra McCree
|
100 Cleo Court
|
Thomasville
|
1
|
|
Lowndes
|
Bridgette James
|
1906 Northside Drive
|
Valdosta
|
1
|
|
Mitchell
|
Robyn Mccune
|
3001 Bumble Bee Road
|
Pelham
|
1
|
|
Colquitt
|
Traunshey Huckaby
|
530 Edmondson Road
|
Moultrie
|
1
|
|
Mitchell
|
Ernestine Burden
|
160 Upson Street NE Apt A
|
Pelham
|
1
|
|
Mitchell
|
Babette Willingham
|
476 E Railroad St. NE Apt D3
|
Pelham
|
1
|
|
Seminole
|
Deshuntra Smith
|
410 W 7th Street
|
Donalsonville
|
1
|
|
Seminole
|
Kimbala Jones
|
810 E Carr Street
|
Donalsonville
|
1
|
|
Mitchell
|
Margaret Hill
|
5016 McNair Road
|
Camilla
|
1
|
|
Mitchell
|
Dorothy Cooper
|
196 Upson Street NE
|
Pelham
|
1
|
|
Mitchell
|
Joann Hicks
|
199 West Circle
|
Camilla
|
1
|
|
Henry
|
Essence Patrick
|
131 H Grier Drive
|
McDonough
|
1
|
|
Newton
|
Maureen Francois
|
65 Joe Ewing Drive
|
Covington
|
1
|
|
Rockdale
|
Sherron Hodge
|
438 Greenleaf Rd
|
Conyers
|
1
|
|
Dekalb
|
Sylvia Benton(Soumano)
|
1009 Arbor Crossing Dr
|
Lithonia
|
1
|
|
Newton
|
Lamonitrias Smith
|
175 Riverbend Drive
|
Covington
|
1
|
|
Rockdale
|
Safiyyah Bowman
|
2110 B Fairway Court
|
Conyers
|
1
|
|
Rockdale
|
Amina Richey
|
3367 Salem Cove Trail
|
Conyers
|
1
|
|
Clarke
|
Lillie Benton
|
145 Zetella Lane
|
Athens
|
1
|
|
Walton
|
Debra Durham
|
408 E Marable Street
|
Monroe
|
1
|
|
Emanuel
|
Tamakia Johnson
|
1219 King Circle Drive
|
Swainsboro
|
1
|
|
Houston
|
Larzania Adkinson
|
419 Gordy Street
|
Perry
|
1
|
|
Houston
|
Sheila Draughorne
|
239 Johns Road
|
W. Robins
|
1
|
|
Houston
|
Dwana Colman
|
607 South 2nd Street
|
W. Robins
|
1
|
|
Dougherty
|
Sonya Green
|
1608 W Gordon Ave
|
Albany
|
1
|
|
Dougherty
|
Carol Johnson
|
1603 Malone Drive
|
Albany
|
1
|
|
Dougherty
|
Linda Hayes
|
1706 Jean Ave
|
Albany
|
1
|
|
Dougherty
|
Shameka Thomas
|
1213 Firestone Drive
|
Albany
|
1
|
|
Dougherty
|
Leshundra King
|
2514 Habersham Road
|
Albany
|
1
|
|
Dougherty
|
Roderick Thomas
|
1970 Riverview Circle South
|
Albany
|
1
|
|
Terrell
|
Monica Johnson
|
735 Flint Street NE
|
Dawson
|
1
|
|
Dougherty
|
Todra Mcghee
|
2607 Cardinal Street #22
|
Albany
|
1
|
|
Dougherty
|
Janice Bell
|
1316 E Tift Ave
|
Albany
|
1
|
|
Dougherty
|
Monica Irby
|
421 S. Westover Blvd #51
|
Albany
|
1
|
|
Dougherty
|
Porshia Wright
|
1925 Buck Lane #A
|
Albany
|
1
|
|
Early
|
Alecia Epps
|
166 Day Street
|
Blakely
|
1
|
Operation Clean House Arrests
|
Barrow County
|
Arrestees: One (1)
|
|
Bartow County
|
Arrestees: Two (2)
|
|
Burke County
|
Arrestees: One (1)
|
|
Carroll County
|
Arrestees: Two (2)
|
|
Catoosa County
|
Arrestees: One (1)
|
|
Clarke County
|
Arrestees: Two (2)
|
|
Colquitt County
|
Arrestees: One (1)
|
|
Coweta County
|
Arrestees: One (1)
|
|
Decatur County
|
Arrestees: One (1)
|
|
Dekalb County
|
Arrestees: One (1)
|
|
Dougherty County
|
Arrestees: Eighteen (18)
|
|
Early County
|
Arrestees: One (1)
|
|
Emanuel County
|
Arrestees: One (1)
|
|
Fayette County
|
Arrestees: Three (3)
|
|
Henry County
|
Arrestees: Two (2)
|
|
Houston County
|
Arrestees: Four (4)
|
|
Jefferson County
|
Arrestees: One (1)
|
|
Lee County
|
Arrestees: Three (3)
|
|
Lowndes County
|
Arrestees: Five (5)
|
|
Miller County
|
Arrestees: One (1)
|
|
Mitchell County
|
Arrestees: Six (6)
|
|
Newton County
|
Arrestees: Three (3)
|
|
Paulding County
|
Arrestees: One (1)
|
|
Randolph County
|
Arrestees: One (1)
|
|
Richmond County
|
Arrestees: Nine (9)
|
|
Rockdale County
|
Arrestees: Three (3)
|
|
Seminole County
|
Arrestees: Two (2)
|
|
Spalding County
|
Arrestees: Two (2)
|
|
Terrell County
|
Arrestees: Two (2)
|
|
Thomas County
|
Arrestees: Two (2)
|
|
Walton County
|
Arrestees: One (1)
|
Individuals with knowledge of fraud or suspect fraud in Section 8 Rental Assistance Program should contact the US HUD Office of Inspector General at 1-800-347-3735 or email hotline@hudoig.gov
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