Gwen Jackson, former Executive Director of the Fenton Housing Authority, was sentenced to six months in prison and three years of supervised release, with $33,000 in restitution, for embezzling $33,194.76 from the housing authority within months of being hired by fraudulently cashing housing authority checks for personal use.

Fenton Housing Authority — Executive Director Embezzlement (2017)

Outcome: Gwen Jackson, 35, former Executive Director of the Fenton Housing Authority in Louisiana, was sentenced to six months in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and $33,000 in restitution for embezzling $33,194.76 from the housing authority within her first year of employment.

Jackson was hired as Executive Director of the Fenton Housing Authority in February 2017 and was responsible for day-to-day operations of the housing authority complex. Her responsibilities included access to business checks and the accounting ledger. Within weeks of being hired, she began fraudulently cashing numerous Fenton Housing Authority checks for her personal benefit.

From March 31, 2017 to September 20, 2017 — just seven months — Jackson embezzled $33,194.76 before law enforcement received complaints about possible theft of funds. When interviewed by law enforcement agents, Jackson confessed to the fraudulent check-cashing scheme.

The sentencing was announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana on May 9, 2019. The case was investigated by HUD's Office of Inspector General.

Primary Source: Former Fenton housing authority director sentenced for embezzling more than $33,000