A former Atlanta Housing Authority executive pleaded guilty Monday in a federal court to collecting more than $300,000 in federal housing and pandemic funds.
Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Ashli Lincoln was in the courtroom as former senior vice president Tracy Jones pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft of government funds, wire fraud and credit application fraud.
She could face more than 20 years in prison.
Jones spoke softly, answering mostly yes-or-no questions. In the end, she told the judge she agreed with the facts laid out in a 16-page plea agreement and told the court she was guilty of using federal dollars to pay herself to rent a Fayetteville home she owns.
A former Atlanta Housing Authority employee, who asked not to be identified, says the allegations leave a lasting stain on the agency meant to help families find stable footing.
“I think it’s devastating. When I saw the story, I was blown away by the level of deceit and arrogance,” the former employee said.
The indictment says Jones collected nearly $300,000 in three separate ways.
More than $63,000, prosecutors say, came after Jones falsified documents to approve her son’s girlfriend for federal housing vouchers used to rent a Fayetteville home that Jones owned.
Court documents say Jones even staged a domestic violence incident to help secure voucher approval.
