Lake Providence woman pleads guilty to stealing $5,000 in HUD funds

MONROE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Lake Providence woman pleaded guilty Thursday to stealing more than $5,000 from a housing development by falsifying receipts for work that was never performed.

Stephanie R. Threats, 46, of Lake Providence, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to one count of conspiracy to commit federal program theft. According to the guilty plea, Threats worked for an Oak Grove, La., elderly housing apartment company, which received funds from the Office of Housing and Urban Development through Section 202 of the Federal Housing Program. From July 2009 until July 2012, Threats stole $5,000 from the program by creating false invoices for work performed for the benefit of the apartments and the HUD program recipients, when in reality no work had been performed.

Threats faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set the sentencing date for September 27, 2017.

The Office of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown is prosecuting the case.