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Fraud

Chicago Couple Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Chicago Housing Authority

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A Chicago couple, Anna Cartagena and William Roman, has been sentenced to prison and ordered to pay restitution for defrauding the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA). Between August 2005 and September 2018, Roman received $153,020 in housing assistance payments on behalf of Cartagena, who was a participant in the CHA's Housing Choice Voucher Program. The couple was found to have misled the CHA about their relationship and Cartagena's interest in the property she lived in, which was rented with assistance from the CHA. The case was investigated by the CHA Inspector General's office and prosecuted by the Illinois Attorney General's office.

Key Takeaways:

  • Anna Cartagena, 62, and William Roman, 61, were sentenced to two years in prison for defrauding the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA).
  • The couple was found to have received $153,020 in housing assistance payments on behalf of Cartagena from August 2005 to September 2018.
  • Cartagena failed to disclose to the CHA that she was married to Roman, who also failed to certify Cartagena had any interest in the property she lived in.
  • Roman received an additional $44,458 in housing assistance payments on behalf of a second Housing Choice Voucher participant for a home rented by his mother-in-law, who is now deceased.
  • The case was investigated by the CHA Inspector General's office and prosecuted by the Illinois Attorney General's office.
  • Assistant Attorneys General Jonas Harger and Mara Somlo led the prosecution of the case.
  • The CHA's Housing Choice Voucher Program is a vital resource for thousands of families, and the Attorney General's office is committed to protecting it.

Statistics:

  • $153,020: The total amount of housing assistance payments received by William Roman from August 2005 to September 2018.
  • $44,458: The amount of housing assistance payments received by Roman on behalf of a second Housing Choice Voucher participant.
  • $133,020: The amount owed by Anna Cartagena to the CHA.
  • $44,458: The amount owed by William Roman to the CHA.

Sources:

  • Office of the Illinois Attorney General
  • Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) Inspector General's office

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