Defendant Allegedly Pocketed Rent Payments for Her Personal Use
Chicago —(ENEWSPF)–June 15, 2016. Attorney General Lisa Madigan today joined with the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to announce theft charges against Cassandra Evans of Chicago, an employee of a CHA property management company, for allegedly pocketing rent payments into her personal bank account and spending the money totaling nearly $9,000.
Evans, 49, was arraigned today for Class 2 felony theft of government money; Class 3 felony theft and Class 3 felony wire fraud. Evans faces up to seven years in prison and up to $25,000 in fines.
Evans is a former property manager for Eastlake Management, a management company for Lowden Homes, a CHA property in the Princeton Park neighborhood on the far South Side. Part of Evans’ duties as a property manager included colleting rent from Lowden tenants and depositing them in an Eastlake Management bank account. Eastlake Management then remitted the rents received to the CHA. The investigation revealed Evans accepted rent payments from Lowden tenants issued to Eastlake, added her name as a payee without the authorization of the tenant or Eastlake, and then deposited the funds into her personal bank account, spending the tenants’ rent money on personal items.
“The defendant abused her position of authority to scam public housing residents out of their money for her own benefit,” Madigan said.
“Ms. Evans diverted CHA funds from residents who qualified as low-income individuals,” said Chicago Housing Authority Inspector General Elissa Rhee-Lee. “These are the people that need our assistance and it is shameful that as a CHA contractor, she abused her position and took advantage of the residents for her personal benefit.”
Bond was set at $10,000. Evans’ next court appearance is July 18 before Judge Diane Gordon Cannon.
The public is reminded that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The investigation was conducted by the Chicago Housing Authority Office of the Inspector General. Assistant Attorney General Jonas Harger is handling the case for Madigan’s Public Integrity Bureau.
Source: http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov
