CHICAGO (WBBM/STNG) -- A dozen present or former federal employees are among 15 people charged with defrauding federal housing programs intended to help the poor.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Chapman said that 11 work or worked for the U.S. Postal Service. The other is a Transportation Security Administration employee.
Together, they allegedly took nearly $256,000 in rent subsidies and public housing payments from the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) even though their federal jobs paid well above the cutoff level.
Two of those charged are also accused of accepting more than $167,500 in Social Security payments to which they were not entitled.
The largest single case involved that of 61-year-old Postal Service employee Arvay Smith. Chapman said she allegedly defrauded HUD of more than $48,000 in benefits between April 2000 and November 2006.
Nine of the cases are charged as misdemeanors, the other six as felonies. Chapman said that if convicted, each must repay what they received from the government and could face substantial additional fines -- up to five years in prison and a $250,000 in the felony cases, and one year and $100,000 fine for those charged as misdemeanors
The following people were charged, according to the release.
Natasha Acoff, 41, of Alsip, charged with defrauding HUD of about $27,420 in Housing Choice Voucher program funds;
Camille Sawyers, 28, of Chicago, charged with one misdemeanor count of theft of HCV funds
Quinchitta Jackson, 36, of Chicago, charged with defrauding HUD of more than $20,000 in HCV funds
Marsha Pate-Rollins, 39, of Lansing, charged with one misdemeanor count of theft of HCV funds
Arvay Smith, 61, of Chicago, charged with defrauding HUD of about $48,017 in public housing program benefits
Nellie Howard, 39, of Hazel Crest, charged with defrauding HUD of about $27,074 in HCV program funds
Karen Isom, 39, of Sauk Village, charged with defrauding HUD of more than $20,000 in HCV program funds
Diane Reid, 40, of Riverdale, charged with defrauding HUD of over $34,000 in HCV program funds
Narissa McMillion, 34, of Aurora, charged with defrauding HUD of about $28,495 in public housing program benefits
Latesia Foster, 38, of Des Plaines, charged with one misdemeanor count of theft of HCV program funds
Doris Smith, 36, of Chicago, charged with one misdemeanor count of theft of public housing program funds
Myrtis Burkhart, 56, of Chicago, charged with theft of about $96,250 in SSA funds and $22,588 in HCV program funds
Sandra Pickett, 53, of Chicago, charged with theft of about $71,265 in SSA funds and $28,362 in HCV program funds
All were ordered to appear at various times for arraignment in U.S. District Court.
Also charged with mail fraud in a separate case were Andre D. Johnson, 46, of Dolton, and Brian K. Lillie, 51, of Tinley Park, for allegedly defrauding Wells Fargo Home Mortgage by submitting false claims for over $90,000 in unperformed rehabilitation work on a distressed property in the 5800 block of South Wells Street in Chicago. Both Johnson and Lillie have pleaded not guilty, the release said.
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