Madison, Wis. - John W. Vaudreuil, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced Henry Gobel, 44, Madison, Wis., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William Conley to one year of probation for theft of government funds. Gobel pleaded guilty to this charge on May 10, 2012.

Between 2003 and 2008, Gobel owned several apartment buildings in Dane County. In 2006, Gobel applied for and received housing benefits for one of his tenants from two different government programs resulting in an overpayment of $9,930, a portion of which he used to pay off back rent owed by the tenant.

At sentencing, Judge Conley noted that Gobel's lack of prior criminal record mitigated against a prison sentence. However, in addition to ordering Gobel to pay full restitution to the U.S. Department for Housing and Urban Development, he also ordered that Gobel speak to a community group about his criminal conduct on three occasions during his term of probation.

As part of Gobel's plea agreement with the United States, he is permanently barred from participating in any government housing assistance program as a landlord.

The charges against the defendant were the result of an investigation conducted by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul W. Connell.

 

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