United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

HARTFORD BUSINESS THAT STOLE HURRICANE KATRINA RELIEF BENEFITS IS SENTENCED

David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that URBAN DEVELOPERS, LLC, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge Ellen Bree Burns in New Haven to two years of probation and was ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $20,000 for stealing Hurricane Katrina relief benefits.

According to court documents and statements made in court, URBAN  DEVELOPERS owned and operated an apartment building at 105 Sherbrooke Avenue in Hartford.  Between December 2005 and October 2006, the business knowingly stole and converted United States Government funds totaling $13,749 that were provided through rental assistance programs maintained by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for Hurricane Katrina victims.  The rental assistance payments were paid directly to URBAN DEVELOPERS on behalf of tenant Christine Tate, who was already receiving U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development rental assistance that precluded the receipt of additional housing assistance.

Today, Judge Burns ordered URBAN DEVELOPERS to pay restitution in the amount of $5,290 in restitution, in addition to $8,459 that the company has previously paid.

On March 5, 2010, the company pleaded guilty to one count of theft of federal Hurricane Katrina relief benefits.

On November 16, 2009, Christine Tate pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement about her eligibility for federal rental assistance.  On April 22, she was sentenced to three years of probation and was ordered to restitution in the amount of $3472.

This case was investigated by special agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William A. Collier.             

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov