Crime And Law

Former housing executive sentenced for stealing federal housing, COVID relief funds

Tracy Jones Tracy Jones will serve an additional nine months on home detention, followed by two years of supervised release.

ATLANTA — A former executive with the Atlanta Housing Authority has been sentenced to nine months in federal prison after pleading guilty in a wire fraud scheme involving housing and pandemic relief funds.

Federal prosecutors said 61-year-old Tracy Jones stole more than $300,000 in federal housing and pandemic relief money.

Authorities said Jones falsified documents to help her son’s girlfriend receive a federal housing voucher and use it to rent a Fayetteville home owned by Jones herself. Prosecutors said Jones also forged documents to receive federal pandemic relief funds.

Investigators said Jones used falsified forms, a fake name and a Shell company as part of the scheme. Prosecutors said she collected about $36,000 in rent payments tied to the housing voucher and fraudulently obtained more than $27,000 in COVID-19 relief money.

Jones pleaded guilty to fraud charges and was sentenced to nine months in prison followed by nine months of home detention.

She was also ordered to pay restitution and fines totaling about $130,000.