Office of the
Illinois Attorney General
Kwame Raoul
Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a Chicago couple the Attorney General’s office prosecuted was sentenced to prison and ordered to pay restitution for defrauding the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA).
Cook County Circuit Court Judge Stanley J. Sacks on Friday sentenced Anna Cartagena, 62, and William Roman, 61, both of Chicago, to two years in prison in exchange for a payment of $20,000 in restitution from each defendant. Judge Sacks also entered a judgement order against Cartagena, finding she owes $133,020 to the CHA, and entered a judgement order against Roman finding he owes $44,458 to the CHA.
“This sentence sends the message that abusing this vital program is not acceptable and that misusing these limited resources will not be tolerated,” Raoul said. “I am pleased to recover these funds for taxpayers, and I remain committed to protecting the Housing Choice Voucher Program for the thousands of families who rely on it.”
Between August 2005 and September 2018, Roman received $153,020 in housing assistance payments on behalf of Cartagena, who was a participant in the CHA’s Housing Choice Voucher Program. According to Raoul, Cartagena failed to disclose to the CHA that she was married to Roman, who also failed to certify Cartagena had any interest in the property she lived in that was rented with assistance from the CHA. Roman also received $44,458 in housing assistance payments on behalf of a second Housing Choice Voucher participant for a home rented by his mother-in-law, who is now deceased.
The case was investigated by the CHA Inspector General’s office.
“Collusion between voucher holders and landlords – including family members – is a serious crime that limits affordable housing assistance for those who truly need it,” said CHA Inspector General Kathryn Richards. “The CHA-OIG is gratified the defendants were required to return at least a portion of the stolen funds back to the CHA and are being held accountable for their crimes.”
Assistant Attorneys General Jonas Harger and Mara Somlo prosecuted the case for Raoul’s Public Integrity Bureau.
