Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
D.C.
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Mass.
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
N.Carolina
N.Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
S.Carolina
S.Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
W.Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Law Firm Website Design Companies : The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly


The president of the Los Angeles-based Community Partnership Development Corporation (CPDC) pleaded guilty this morning to charges of obstructing an audit conducted by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, which was looking into the expenditure of nearly $3.2 million of federal money on "engineering and construction management supervision fees."

Frank DeSantis, 49, of Santa Clarita, pleaded guilty to the felony obstruction charge before United States District Judge John F. Walter. DeSantis pleaded guilty to a one-count indictment that was returned by a federal grand jury in June and accused him of overstating work hours in relation to grant money that HUD had provided to the CPDC.

HUD provides funding, through the Low-Income Housing Preservation and Resident Homeownership Act of 1991 -- commonly called the Preservation Program -- to support the development and operation of privately owned rental properties for low-income families. The Preservation Program provides financial assistance in the form of grants to private owners for the purchase and rehabilitation of properties. In 1996 and 1997, DeSantis received Preservation Program grants, which he used to purchase three properties -- the New Brittany Housing Foundation Development, the L.A. Garden Community Association Development, and the Casa Community Association Development. In June 2002, HUD’s Office of Inspector General conducted an audit of the grant fund expenditures for the three developments. In order to explain the expenditure of $3,198,245, DeSantis submitted time sheets for CPDC employees. However, the time sheets proved to be false for three reasons: they were created long after the purported work took place, they showed more hours than the employees actually worked on the Preservation Program grant, and the time sheets failed to disclose that a significant number of hours were spent working on non-Preservation Program projects.

“Financial crimes aimed at multifamily housing undermine the economic viability of what is home to dozens and sometimes hundreds of families,” said Kenneth M Donohue, Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “To the extent that we can stop these destructive practices, the HUD Office of Inspector General will be a deterrent to these pernicious activities and a defender of the notion that people should be able to enjoy a safe and affordable home.”

DeSantis is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Walter on February 4. At that time, DeSantis faces a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. As part of his plea agreement, DeSantis has agreed to pay $400,000 to reimburse HUD for some of the money provided in Preservation Program grants.

This case is the result of an investigation by HUD's Office of Inspector General.

Legal News | Breaking News | Terms & Conditions | Privacy

ⓒ Breaking Legal News. All Rights Reserved.

The content contained on the web site has been prepared by BLN as a service to the internet community and is not intended to constitute legal advice or a substitute for consultation with a licensed legal professional in a particular case. Affordable law firm web design company
   More Legal News
   Legal Spotlight
   Exclusive Commentaries
   Attorney & Blog - Blog Watch
   Law Firm News  1  2  3  4  5  6 
   Lawyer & Law Firm Links
Car Accident Lawyers
Sunnyvale, CA Personal Injury Attorney
www.esrajunglaw.com
Family Law in East Greenwich, RI
Divorce Lawyer, Erica S. Janton
www.jantonfamilylaw.com
Oregon DUI Law Attorney
Eugene DUI Lawyer. Criminal Defense Law
www.mjmlawoffice.com
New York, New Jersey Adoption Lawyers
New York Foster Care Lawyers
Adoption Pre-Certification
www.lawrsm.com
Chicago, Naperville IL Workers' Compensation Lawyers
Chicago Workplace Injury Attorneys
www.krol-law.com
Raleigh, NC Business Lawyer
www.rothlawgroup.com
Lorain Elyria Divorce Lawyer
www.loraindivorceattorney.com
Connecticut Special Education Lawyer
www.fortelawgroup.com
Los Angeles Immigration Documents Service
New Vision Immigration
www.immigrationnew.com
Employer Defense Attorney
Gardena Labor Law Defense Lawyers
www.aclawfirm.net
   More Legal News  1  2  3  4  5  6
   Legal News Links
  Click The Law
  Daily Bar News
  The Legal Report
  Legal News Post
  Crisis Legal News
  Legal News Journal
  Korean Web Agency
  Law Firm Directory