On Tuesday, December 10, 2013, Jennifer Tyson of Rockwall, Texas, entered a plea of guilty before a U.S. magistrate to one count of conspiracy to commit theft of federal funds. Tyson, 37, now faces five years in federal prison, a fine of $250,000 or more depending on the total loss, and restitution.
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From June, 2009, to November, 2012, Tyson served as Executive Director/Manager of the Rockwall Housing Development Corporation which was funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Funds were provided by HUD for The Meadows, a 36-unit apartment complex in Rockwall (commonly referred to as "section 8 housing").
Tyson admitted she wrote and cashed 149 checks made out to "cash" or "reimbursement" from October 2009, to October, 2012, for her own personal use when such monies were not owed to her. In addition, Tyson admitted, from March, 2010, to June, 2011, she wrote 128 checks totaling $126,063 to two co-conspirators who were residents of the complex. Portions of those funds were used to purchase drugs by the co-conspirators and Tyson which they consumed together.
Tyson and the co-conspirators continued their drug use in hotels in Rockwall following the eviction of the co-conspirators from the apartment complex. Both the hotel rooms and the drugs were paid for by Tyson with illegally obtained funds.
Sentencing is set for March 19, 2014.