On August 7, 2024, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Jefferson County District Attorney Kristyna S. Mills, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General (HUD OIG) and the New York State Police announced that on August 6, 2024, former West Carthage Housing Authority Executive Director Jan Hoffman was sentenced for a scheme that allowed her to steal over $48,000 in WCHA funds.
Hoffman was sentenced to serve five years’ probation.
The sentencing of Hoffman's mother, Katherine (Katie) Pais, who pleaded guilty
to aiding in and concealing the scheme, was adjourned to
Following
their
“Hoffman and
Pais betrayed the public trust in their scheme to steal over $48,000 in funds
meant to support seniors and people with disabilities residing in the West
Carthage Housing Authority,” DiNapoli said.
“I thank Jefferson County District Attorney Kristyna S. Mills, the HUD
Inspector General, and the State Police for partnering with my office to hold
them accountable for their crimes.”
“The
defendants took advantage of their position and violated the public trust by
defrauding HUD-assisted housing programs of scarce taxpayer dollars intended to
provide housing to individuals and seniors with disabilities," said Special Agent-in-Charge Vicky Vazquez with
the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector
General. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates HUD OIG’s steadfast commitment
to working with our prosecutorial, law enforcement and oversight partners to
aggressively pursue those who engage in activities that threaten the integrity
of HUD programs.”
New
York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “This
sentencing should serve as a reminder that those who manipulate innocent
victims will be brought to justice. Our joint investigation determined that the
suspects in this case violated the public trust by circumventing financial
accounts intended to fund safe housing for individuals. I thank the
Comptroller’s Office, Jefferson County District Attorney’s
Hoffman served
as the executive director of the West Carthage Housing Authority, a
government-funded apartment complex for low-income senior citizens and people
with disabilities, from 2016 to 2021. Pais, Hoffman’s mother, was hired as a
vendor to act as an accounts payable bookkeeper at the housing authority from
2016 to 2020.
Based upon an
anonymous tip, DiNapoli’s Office and the HUD OIG commenced an investigation of
all monies controlled by Hoffman and found that she had been making personal
purchases with housing authority funds since 2016, her entire tenure as
executive director. In total, Hoffman stole over $48,000 from the authority
using its financial accounts and credit lines to pay unauthorized personal
expenses, including retail and grocery purchases, and to fund her and her
family’s personal cell phone expenses. She also submitted over $1,000 in
additional false reimbursement claims.
Through her
role as the accounts payable bookkeeper, Pais was responsible for reviewing
claims and preparing checks for payment. Pais abused her position in order to
facilitate her daughter’s theft by making the illicit payments and then
falsifying authority records to conceal her daughter’s crimes.
Hoffman was
sentenced before Judge David Renzi in Jefferson County Court.
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Since taking office in 2007, DiNapoli has committed to fighting public corruption and encourages the public to help fight fraud and abuse. New Yorkers can report allegations of fraud involving taxpayer money by calling the toll-free Fraud Hotline at 1-888-672-4555, by mailing a complaint to: Office of the State Comptroller, Division of Investigations, 8th Floor, 110 State St., Albany, NY 12236, or by filing a complaint online at https://www.osc.ny.gov/investigations.