On January 10, Shannon Caruso, a 48-year-old woman from Alabama, received a 14-month federal prison sentence. This came after she pleaded guilty to stealing rent payments that were intended for government-assisted low-income housing. Caruso, who was employed as a property manager for two different government housing authorities, was responsible for providing affordable housing to individuals with limited income. Unfortunately, she abused her position of trust and deceived renters in the area.
Court documents reveal that Caruso deceived renters by instructing them to make their rent checks payable directly to her or leaving the payee line blank. Rather than depositing the rent money with the housing authorities as she was supposed to, Caruso pocketed the funds for her personal use. Despite her theft, the housing authorities decided not to evict tenants who believed they were paying their rent correctly and absorbed the financial losses themselves.
During a hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer criticized Caruso’s actions, highlighting the immense harm caused by her theft to vulnerable individuals who were already struggling financially. Judge Moorer stated that her crimes were selfish and likely impacted innocent people who were already facing difficult financial circumstances. As a consequence, Caruso received a 14-month prison sentence, which is the maximum length recommended by her advisory sentencing guidelines.
Special Agent-in-Charge Jerome Winkle from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Inspector General (OIG) also expressed his thoughts on the case. He stated, “Shannon Caruso has admitted to taking advantage of her role as a property manager to exploit elderly and low-income individuals. She stole their monthly Housing Choice Voucher rent payments and deposited them into her personal bank account. HUD OIG remains committed to collaborating with law enforcement agencies to actively pursue and hold accountable those who target vulnerable members of our community.”
Sean P. Costello, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, expressed agreement with these sentiments, describing Caruso’s crime as especially heinous. He stated, “For this fraudster to steal the rent money from vulnerable victims is an extremely reprehensible act that warrants her imprisonment. Working alongside our law enforcement allies, we will ensure that anyone who preys upon the citizens of South Alabama is held accountable.”
