DETROIT — The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against William Aaron Asper, the owner and manager of rental properties located in and around Westland, Michigan, for engaging in sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of the Fair Housing Act.The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, alleges that William Asper sexually harassed female tenants beginning in 2018, and…

The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against William Aaron Asper, the owner and manager of rental properties located in and around Westland, Michigan, for engaging in sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of the Fair Housing Act.The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, alleges that William Asper sexually harassed female tenants beginning in 2018 and continuing to…

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond woman pled guilty yesterday to wire fraud in connection with her operation of a homeless shelter focused on women and children.According to court documents, Kia A. Player, 41, won a grant to operate an inclement weather shelter for homeless women and children in the Richmond metropolitan area, named RVA Sister’s Keeper. RVA Sister’s Keeper obtained over $995,000 in governmental funding from the United States Department…

WACO, Texas – An Austin woman was sentenced in a federal court in Waco today to 37 months in prison for embezzling federal funds for personal use while serving as the executive director of the Killeen Housing Authority (KHA).According to court documents, Deadra Johnson, 53, fraudulently obtained KHA funds and used them to pay for her personal expenses, including rent, utilities, auto maintenance, internet service, airline tickets, and furniture…

Editor's Note:This matter occurred on date indicated, but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.   HOUSTON – A 62-year-old California resident has been ordered to federal prison for leading a sweeping mortgage and loan fraud scheme that defrauded businesses, banks, mortgage lenders and government programs out of millions of dollars,…

Editor's Note:This matter occurred on date indicated, but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.  HOUSTON – A 20-count indictment has been unsealed following the arrest of a 56-year-old Porter resident for fraudulently applying for and receiving a newly built house worth $435,000, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei.Sharai Poteet also…

PORTLAND, Maine: A Glenburn woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for embezzling from an organization receiving federal funds and conspiring to alter money orders.U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Kelly Ballinger, 59, to 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Ballinger will also be ordered to pay restitution totaling approximately $1 million. Ballinger pleaded guilty on…

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Thomas B. Hoffman (45, Florahome) has pleaded guilty to theft of federal funds. Hoffman faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, as well as forfeiture in the amount of $155,706 and restitution to the victim. A sentencing date has not yet been set.According to the plea agreement, Hoffman was an employee of the Palatka Housing Authority (PHA), which…

Sean P. Madigan, 35, and Victoria Madigan, 35, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, were both sentenced to five years of supervised probation for crimes related to making false statements and wire fraud. Sean was sentenced on June 6 and the court ordered him to pay $161,175 in restitution to the State of Wyoming. Sean was also ordered to pay $12,864 in restitution, joint and several with his co-defendant Victoria, to the Cheyenne Housing Authority. Victoria…

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A former resident of Hudson, Florida, was sentenced in federal court to 78 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction of wire fraud conspiracy, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on Paul Andrew Gulbronson, 59, on September 9, 2025.According to information presented to the Court,…

GRAND RAPIDS – U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey announced that Teri Lyn Looney, age 53, of Dimondale, Michigan was indicted by a grand jury on a criminal charge alleging that she embezzled approximately $95,000 from SIREN Eaton Shelter, a program receiving federal funds.SIREN Eaton Shelter is a Michigan nonprofit dedicated to helping survivors of domestic abuse, their children, and homeless families in Eaton County and surrounding areas.  It…

ST. LOUIS – A man accused of conspiring to steal or try to steal 16 homes and a duplex with bogus deeds appeared in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Thursday and pleaded not guilty to two separate indictments.James L. Townes Jr., 50, of Berkeley, was originally charged by complaint on June 10, 2025. He was indicted by a grand jury on June 25 with one count of mail fraud, one count of access device fraud, one count of unlawful production of an…

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Attorney Julianne E. Murray announced that on August 8, 2025,  Karen D. Wilder, age 39, and her husband, Renwick L. Davis, age 49, of Dover, Delaware, pleaded guilty to theft of public funds for embezzling approximately $600,000 as employees of the Dover Interfaith Mission for Housing (“DIMH”), including federal funds awarded to DIMH to provide services to homeless individuals in Delaware.  The Honorable U.S.…

SOUTH BEND – Tonya R. Winston, 59 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was found guilty after a three-day jury trial presided over United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.The jury returned a verdict of guilty against Winston on all five counts of the Superseding Indictment charging her with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and one count…

A former Amarillo city employee was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for embezzling more than $121,000 from a federal program that provided housing for homeless individuals, announced Acting United States Attorney Nancy E. Larson.Vanessa Robinson, 35, was a Grant Manager for the City of Amarillo from 2013 to January 2024 in Amarillo’s Community Development Department.  In this role, she was responsible for distributing funds…

CLEVELAND – A Cleveland woman who conspired with an elected public official to defraud local nonprofits has been sentenced.Sinera Unique Jones, aka Sinera McCoy, 46, has been sentenced to three years of probation with two months of home detention by U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko, after pleading guilty in April to conspiring to commit wire fraud and honest services fraud by acting in concert with a public official to defraud multiple…

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On July 7, 2025, United States District Court Judge Aida Delgado-Colón sentenced Ángel Alexis Vázquez-Sánchez to 300 months (25 years) in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for child exploitation. Vázquez-Sánchez, 27, from Jayuya, PR, was indicted on March 5, 2024, and plead guilty on January 29, 2025.According to court documents, from December 2021 throughout May 2023, Ángel Alexis Vázquez Sánchez…

PHOENIX – Today, Arizona Attorney Kris Mayes announced a sentencing in the case of Jalil Al-Kinani, who stole federal funding by defrauding the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). On July 9, 2025, Al-Kinani was sentenced to 18-months of supervised probation, and was ordered to pay $13,784.00 to HUD for restitution.“When individuals steal taxpayer-funded resources meant to help our most vulnerable neighbors, they’re not just…

Defendant Caused an Estimated Loss to the U.S. Government of $225,866WASHINGTON – Crissy Monique Baker, 45, a federal employee from Fairfax, Virginia, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to making false, fictitious, or fraudulent claims in connection with claiming to work more hours for the government than she actually did.The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Acting Inspector General Stephen Ravas of AmeriCorps…

PROVIDENCE – A Johnston-based real estate investment firm, the company’s owner, and an employee of the real estate investment firm were sentenced in U.S. District Court today for conspiring to defraud and for defrauding homeowners, many of whom spoke little or no English, and financial institutions, criminal conduct that caused some homeowners to move out of their property, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.In April 2023…