Two Convicted for Fraudulently Obtaining Over $50,000 in Federal Housing Assistance Funds

BATON ROUGE, LA - United States Attorney Walt Green announced the convictions of RHODA RENAE ROBERTSON, age 47, and LOUELLA ROBERTSON, age 68, both of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who pled guilty before U.S. District Judges Shelley Dick and John deGravelles, respectively, to theft of government funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641.  RHODA ROBERTSON was convicted on February 16, 2016.  LOUELLA ROBERTSON was convicted on February 18, 2016.

According to the factual basis presented to the Courts in connection with their guilty pleas, LOUELLA ROBERTSON and her daughter RHODA ROBERTSON stole over $38,000 in United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher funds.  The ROBERTSONS submitted documents to the East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority which contained false representations for the purpose of obtaining HUD Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher funds to which they were not entitled.  During their respective re-arraignment hearings, the ROBERTSONS admitted that they fraudulently obtained more than $38,000 in HUD voucher funds between July of 2011 and December of 2014.

Prior to July of 2011, RHODA ROBERTSON engaged in similar conduct and obtained an additional $12,445.25 in HUD Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher funds to which she was not entitled.  In all, these defendants fraudulently obtained approximately $50,996 in HUD Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher funds.

U.S. Attorney Green stated: “I am proud to work with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, and the East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority, to aggressively identify and prosecute individuals who steal money from programs designed to help those truly in need of housing assistance.  I look forward to continuing our work with HUD-OIG and other investigative agencies to help fight Section 8 fraud.”

This investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General.  The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter J. Smyczek.