Housing Authority Employee in Louisiana Pleads Guilty to Theft of Federal Program Funds
Housing Authority Employee in Louisiana Pleads Guilty to Theft of Federal Program Funds
Alexandria, Louisiana – On August 4, 2022, United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Lisa G. Cooper, 55, of Cottonport, Louisiana, has pleaded guilty to federal program theft. The hearing was held before United States District Judge Dee D. Drell.
Cooper was employed by and an agent for the Cottonport Housing Authority (“CHA”), a local government body that offers subsidized housing to low-income individuals, according to evidence given to the court. The CHA received more than $10,000 per year in capital money and operational subsidies from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
A normal financial audit was undertaken in 2019, and it uncovered several accounting errors at the CHA, notably that tenant payments were being diverted from the CHA from 2017 to 2019. Cooper had been stealing money from the CHA, according to further research. Cooper had been collecting rental payments from the CHA’s tenants in the form of money orders while acting as the agency’s agent, with the payee and payor parts of the money orders left blank. Cooper would then insert her name as the payee on the money orders and deposit them into her own bank accounts. From 2017 to 2019, about $30,079.05 in money orders were put into her personal bank accounts, according to the inquiry.
Cooper admitted during today’s hearing that she functioned as the CHA’s representative and embezzled and misappropriated CHA property she was not authorized to. She faces up to ten years in jail, three years on supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
“This local government agency was there to assist low-income individuals and this defendant’s choice to steal these funds for her own personal benefit is appalling,” stated U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “These types of crimes are ones that we will continue to pursue and prosecute.”
“This investigation represents our continuing resolve to address instances of fraud involving HUD programs,” said Bertrand Nelson, Special Agent in Charge, HUD, Office of Inspector General. “We will continue to work diligently with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to protect the integrity of our programs and take swift action against those who embezzle funds intended for those most vulnerable in our communities.”
The Department of Housing and Urban Development investigated the case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Daniel Siefker.
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